The Mandalorian Maverick
by choejhulkp9
Summary: Tarre Vizsla was an ancient Mandalorian warrior who was inducted into the Jedi order. After his death there hasn't been another until now. His descendant is rather unique. Son of a warrior who fled to Coruscant during the end of the Mandalorian civil war, the Jedi sensed he was powerful in the force and trained him. The Clone Wars have started and he is ready...this is the way.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, here is a story I got inspired to do after getting Disney Plus and re-watching Star Wars. And the new Mandalorian series kind of helped inspire it as well. Instead of doing another crossover, this will be an Oc in the Star Wars universe. Tarre Vizsla was the first Mandalorian Jedi in existence but was not the only one. His descendant, Will Vizsla, son of the sister of Pre Vizsla of the legendary clan is inducted into the Jedi Order. Under the apprenticeship of Master Obi-wan Kenobi, he'll become a maverick within the Jedi and make a name for himself while eventually learning more about his heritage along with who his father is which will play a major role in his future. Enjoy!**

**The Mandalorian Maverick: New Padawans**

**38BBY: Mandalorian Civil War, Mandalore**

Laser fire filled the air between two opposing forces of the same planet. The Planet Mandalore was long the host of war and combat which was reflected in its people. Mandalorians earned themselves a reputation as some of the fiercest warriors in the galaxy, even starting a war with the mighty Jedi. Now the planet was embroiled in a civil war between warriors who wished to see Mandalore return to their warrior past of dominance and New Mandalorians led by Satine Kryze who wanted to adopt a system of pacifisms and neutrality. There were heavy losses on both side and after much fighting it would seem that the Pacifist regime would win. More and more clans surrendered by the day and it wouldn't be long before the civil war was over.

One lone Mandalorian warrior had a plan to leave if the tide of the battle would not play out as predicted and with the end of war on the horizon it seemed that was the case. Said Mandalorian was carrying a bundle of cloths in its arms as it rushed over to a nearby ship with a small droid unit accompanying it. It was a small BD unit colored black and blue. The tiny bipedal droid rushed over to a nearby ship and up the ramp with the Mandalorian right behind it. The ship itself was a grey and orange colored _Corellian Engineering Corporation XS Stock Light Freighter_. It was a modified freighter ship that you would usually associate with freighter pilots or smugglers, but it had been specially modified by the Mandalorian for speed, firepower, and stealth.

The droid jumped onto a droid port where it connected to the ship's system and began the pre-flight systems check. The Mandalorian rushed onto the ship and put the bundle down on a nearby chair and secured it. The top of the blanket came down to reveal it was a baby, probably a few weeks old. The Mandalorian sat down in a nearby chair and began taking off its armor.

**"****BD-8, set the hyperdrive for Coruscant**." The Mandalorian said, stacking her armor together on the ground.

**[Confused beeps]** BD-8 looked at its owner and despite not having a face, the gesture of its small head and two eyes conveyed what it was thinking easily.

**"****I know, I know. Normally I'd never head there but times have changed…"** The Mandalorian took off its helmet to reveal he was actually a she. Pio Vizsla, older Sister of Pre Vizsla and one of his many supporters in the push for Mandalore to return to its glorious old roots was running from home. "…and time has made me change."

She looked back at the young baby with affection yet sadness. She was beyond happy to be a mother but knew that with the new Pacifist regime, she and her brother would have been exiled to Concordia…and she didn't want that for her son. While a part of her would have loved nothing more than to raise him as a true Mandalorian warrior in the hopes of him one day wearing her armor…seeing his face and realizing the end of the war wouldn't go in their favor changed something in her. "He doesn't deserve a life stuck on a mining moon."

**[Sad beep]** BD-8 looked at Pio with sad eyes and the sentiment was shared. They would both miss home.

"I know, BD, I know. But this is what's best for him." She said in sadness. Having removed her helmet, she piled it together with her chest plate, knee pads, leg greaves, shoulder pads, and jetpack before walking out of her ship and placed it down on a nearby crate with a tracking beacon and a note to be given to her brother. "This will break his heart…but my son deserves a better life."

Pio got back in her ship and flew them off the ground into Mandalorian space before engaging the hyperdrive. Leaving her life behind and ready to start a new one, she had no idea the destiny her son would have and the future he would carve out that would one day take him back home to Mandalore.

**22BBY: **

**A Galaxy Divided! **

**Striking swiftly after the Battle of Geonosis, Count Dooku's droid army has seized control of the major hyperspace lanes, separating the Republic from the majority of its clone army. **

**With few clones available, the Jedi generals cannot gain a foothold in the Outer Rim as more and more planets choose to join Dooku's Separatists. **

**While the Jedi are occupied fighting a war, no one is left to keep the peace. Chaos and crime spread, and the innocent become victims in a lawless galaxy. Crime Lord Jabba the Hutt's son has been kidnapped by a rival band of pirates. **

**Desperate to save his son, Jabba puts out a call for help. A call the Jedi are cautious to answer. **

**Coruscant**

In the Supreme Chancellor's office, Chancellor Palpatine, Master Windu, Luminara, and Plo Koon were watching a video message sent out by Jabba the Hutt for help in finding his kidnapped son.

**_"_****_Jabba requests that anyone who can help us find his kidnapped son send any information they have immediately."_** The message played before ending.

"This is exactly the chance we've been waiting for. The Jedi must find Jabba's son." Palpatine said.

"Hmmm, I don't like it, dealing with that criminal scum. This is a dark day for the Republic." Windu noted.

"I agree, my friend but what choice do we have? The Hutts control the Outer Rim, and we'll need their space lanes in order to move our troops." The Chancellor pointed out.

"There is more to this kidnapping than it seems." Windu said, having a gut feeling about all of this.

"Then you must send as many Jedi as you can." Palpatine told him.

"Impossible, Chancellor. The droid General Grievous has our forces spread thin. The only Jedi we can spare are Skywalker and Kenobi. They just captured the planet Christophsis." Windu informed him.

"Then contact them immediately." The Chancellor ordered and that's just what they did.

At a Republic refueling and supply station, the Jedi Council contacted Admiral Yularen with an important message for General Kenobi and Skywalker. Unable to make communication contact, two messengers were sent by the council and needed to be sent to the planet Christophsis immediately.

**Christophsis**

The liberation of the planet had not gone as planned with the Separatist working inch by inch to retake the planet and destroy the Republic forces. Having sent their ships for supplies, the forces under the command of Master Anakin Skywalker and Obi-wan Kenobi were slowly being outnumbered but with the help of their heavy cannons were hanging on bit by bit.

The 501st and 212th battalion just survived another attack by the droid army but would soon need reinforcements. A special drop ship flew down by the Republic outpost where Master Skywalker and Kenobi converged to meet it.

"Looks like help has arrived. Our cruiser must be back." Obi-wan said.

"Which means we'll be able to get our reinforcements." Anakin added.

"Then it looks like our problems are solved. Fresh troops, new supplies, and perhaps they brought my new Padawan with them." Obi-wan said.

Anakin just gave his old master an odd look. "You really think it's a good idea to bring a Padawan learner into all of this?"

"I spoke to Master Yoda about it. He's sending me one of the finest there is since you were younger." Obi-wan told him which intrigued Anakin a little bit. "You should put in a request for one. You'd make a good teacher."

That made Anakin chuckle a little bit. "No thanks."

"Anakin, teaching is a privilege. And it's part of a Jedi's responsibility to help train the next generation." Obi-wan lectured him just as the ship touched down.

"A Padawan would just slow me down."

The ship's blast door lowered down to reveal a young Togruta female approximately 14 years old walk down the ship.

"A youngling?" Obi-wan was a bit surprised to see someone so young.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Anakin asked while R2D2 beeped happily.

"I'm Ahsoka. Master Yoda sent me. We were told to tell both of you that you must get back to the Jedi Temple immediately. There's an emergency." She informed them.

"We? Is there someone else with you?" Obi-wan asked when he heard a distinct droid beep. They looked down to see a black and blue colored BD droid staring curiously at Obi-wan. "They sent a droid with you?"

"No, he's with me. I'm the other messenger." They heard as someone else departed the ship with a crate in their arms. "Sorry I didn't come out at first, but this is a little heavy. It's extra ammunition for you guys. There's a few more in the ship."

"Thanks, we'll take that." One of the clones said as the messenger put it down so Obi-wan and Anakin could get a good look. He was human, approximately 16 years old with dark brown hair and an apprentice braid dangling by his ear. He was wearing dark blue padawan robes with combat boots and belt with a lightsaber hooked behind his back. One noticeable distinction were the unique armored gloves/forearm guards and a metal necklace with a unique stylized shriek-hawk symbol made of a silver metal. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Will Vizsla, Padawan learner and Ahsoka is right. The Jedi Council needs to talk to you right away."

"Sorry but if you two haven't noticed we're in a bit of an emergency right here." Anakin told them.

"Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable, but we've been calling for help." Obi-wan added.

"Master Yoda hadn't heard from you, so he sent us to deliver a message." Ahsoka said.

"Oh great. They don't even know we're in trouble." Anakin exasperated.

"Then we better let them know. BD-8 can relay a signal through the cruiser that just dropped us off." Will suggested and that idea made both Jedi smile.

Unfortunately, the airspace around Christophsis was not fairing any better with the Republic cruises being outnumbered and under heavy attack. "_We're under attack by Separatist warships, but I'll try to make contact with the Jedi Temple for you. Stand by."_ A clone technician told them, doing his best while the ship was under attack.

"BD-8, see if you can boost the power signal." Will said.

BD-8 gave a happy beep before using its scomp link in its leg to plug in to the communication terminal and bolster the signal. They waited a few seconds before Master Yoda's hologram appeared. "_Master Kenobi, glad Ahsoka and Will found you, I am."_

"Master Yoda, we are trapped here and vastly outnumbered. We are in no position to go anywhere or do anything. Our support ships have all been destroyed." Obi-wan told him.

_"__Send reinforcements to you, we will. AR-ogg...sughh…"_ the signal began to cut out and the hologram got fuzzy.

"BD-8, can you clean this up?" Will asked only for the droid to shake its head no. The clone technician came back into view.

_"__We've lost the signal to the temple, sir. We need to leave orbit immediately. We'll return with reinforcements soon." _The signal cut out soon after that.

"Well, I guess we'll have to hold out a little longer." Anakin said.

"My apologies, young ones. It's time for proper introductions." Obi-wan told them.

"We're the new Padawan learners. I'm Will Vizsla and this is Ahsoka Tano." Will introduce the two of them before bowing. "Master Kenobi, it'll be an honor training under you. If your reputation is even a tenth accurate then I'll be ready to learn a lot."

"And I'm eager to teach you." Obi-wan replied.

"So, you got two Padawans?" Anakin asked.

"No, I'm assigned to Master Skywalker." Ahsoka said. That was the last thing Anakin was expecting.

"What? No, no, no! There must be come mistake. He's the one who wanted the Padawan."

"There's no mistake. Master Yoda was very specific. I'm assigned to Anakin Skywalker and he is to supervise my Jedi training." Ahsoka told them.

Obi-wan and Will smirked while Anakin was still in disbelief. "But that doesn't make any sense."

"We'll have to sort this out later. It won't be long before those droids figure out a way around our cannons." Obi-wan told him.

"I'll check on Rex in the lookout post." Anakin begrudgingly made his way over there.

"You'd better take her with you." Obi-wan said with a delightful smirk on his face.

"Stay out of trouble there, Ace." Will joked only for Ahsoka to punch his arm as she walked away with her new master.

"What was that about?" Obi-wan asked.

"A funny story involving a speeder crash. I'll tell you later." Will said as BD-8 crawled up Will's back and got settled in his usual spot on the robe band on his upper right back. "Allow me to introduce my friend. This is BD-8. BD-8, meet Obi-wan Kenobi, my new master."

**[Happy beeps and boops]** BD-8 happily waved one of its legs as Obi-wan smiled back.

"Pleasure to meet you. A very unique droid you have there." Obi-wan commented.

"That he is, and he's been with me through thick and thin. He's ready for anything. Splicing, infiltrating, or a stim shot. He's your droid." Will said with a smile as the new Padawan and Master walked through the camp.

"Where did you get him?" Obi-wan asked.

"He's been with me since I was born. He belonged to my mother and after she died, he's stuck with me even when I went through my Jedi training." He replied. "Master Kenobi, I want you to know that I'm eager to learn and ready to listen to what you have to teach me. I want you to understand that history of my people shouldn't reflect who I am."

"Excuse me?" Obi-wan asked for clarification.

"I'm Will Vizsla, son of Pio Vizsla of Mandalore. I'm Mandalorian." Will told him, giving Obi-wan a shock he wasn't expecting. "I'm aware from my training at the temple that the Jedi and my people don't have the best history. And generally, my people aren't exactly looked at in the best light by the Republic."

"I'm aware of that as well but I also don't believe in holding a young one such as you accountable for the past deeds of your people." Obi-wan assured him. "It's rare for another Mandalorian to be force sensitive. From what I recall the last person was your ancestor Tarre Vizsla."

"Yes, and after his death and the theft of the Dark saber, Mandalore has been rife with war and conflict. My mother fled to Coruscant during the end of the Mandalorian civil war when I was a baby. I've been living there since I could remember but she taught me all about my people, history, and culture." Will looked down at the armored gloves and forearm guards he was wearing along with his necklace. "These belonged to her and she left to them me before she died. I was eight when that happened, and it was after that that Master Kota found me and brought me and BD-8 to the temple to begin my training."

"I've met Master Kota several times. A very spectacular Jedi. How did he find you?" Obi-wan was curious.

"I accidently sent a gangster into a wall with the force to stop them from hurting my best friend. Master Kota stumbled onto us and saved me. He took me to the temple afterward when he saw what I did. He knew I had potential…but the council was less than eager to let me start training." Will told him.

"Which is reasonable as most Jedi start their training far younger than you are. Anakin is the only one who was ever allowed to undergo training despite his age." Obi-wan replied.

"Well, I think it's because of him that they gave me the chance." Will said. "After they brought me into the council room to talk to me…I could tell they were hesitant. Master Kota vouched for me, saying he could tell I had talent. And I think Master Yoda saw something in me. It was unusual but here I am now."

"Here you are. I've heard from that you're one of the best trained Padawans we've had since Anakin was a young one. The finest duelist and I hear that you trained with Master Yoda personally in the force for a few special sessions. That is a rare accomplishment. But be warned my Padawan, experience in the temple does not prepare you for everything the battlefield can throw at you. Be mindful of your thoughts and your actions." Obi-wan warned him.

"Yes, Master but don't worry. This won't be my first experience in the field. You're actually my second master." He informed him. "I was previously under the tutelage of Master Ur-Sema Du. She was killed during the battle of Geonosis."

Obi-wan remembered that grim experience. Many Jedi died that day and the Clone wars started as a result. "I remember that day in great detail. I'm sorry about your former master. I know what it feels like to lose one myself. Nothing is ever the same afterward. But still the point stands. Be mindful and trust in the force."

"Yes, Master." Will replied as they walked up to a clone commander in yellow detailed armor.

"Cody, what's the situation?" Obi-wan asked.

"We've finished offloading the supplies from the transport ship. It's not a lot but anything helps. No report yet from the lookouts." Cody replied before looking at the young Jedi. "Who's the young one?"

"Cody, this is my new Padawan, Will Vizsla. Will, this is Clone Marshal Commander Cody. He's the finest commander I know." Obi-wan introduced the two. Will held his hand out and shook Cody's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Commander." Will replied.

"Likewise, Commander Vizsla. And please, call me Cody." Cody informed him.

"Duly noted and please call me Will." He replied. Will looked to the side and saw the AV-7 Antivehicle Cannons and was in awe. "Wow, those are AV-7 heavy artillery cannons. Capable of firing plasma shells at an effective range of over 1000 meters with pinpoint accuracy. These things can take out a droid tank in one shot."

"Impressive young one." Obi-wan commented.

"I specialized in weapons, combat, and warfare in the temple on my own time. When I wasn't training or in class, I was researching. Kind of fitting given my people's history." Will replied when he heard a weird sound that sounded like a shield. "What was that?"

Obi-wan and Cody turned to see a shield closing in from the distance. "That's trouble." Cody replied.

"Cody, contact Rex and Anakin. Looks like the Separatists are launching another offensive." Obi-wan ordered.

The Jedi and Clone Commanders grouped up at a holo-table to work out their defensive plan. The Separatists had an expanding shield that was protecting their army and tanks and was inching closer and closer to the Republic base.

"The shield generator is somewhere in this area. They're slowly increasing the diameter and keeping it just ahead of their troops." Obi-wan said, looking at the shield field that was getting larger by the second.

"Heavy cannons are gonna be useless against that." Rex commented.

"As they get closer, I supposed we could try to draw them into the buildings. That might level the playing field a bit." Obi-wan suggested.

"Or just split them up." Will said causing them to look at him. "The commander would just send a splinter force after us while keeping the tanks set on the heavy cannons. We need that shield down if we're going to have a chance."

"If that shield's gonna be such a problem, why don't we just take it out?" Ahsoka suggested.

"Easier said than done." Rex told her.

"Well, I for one, agree with her. Someone has to get to that shield generator and destroy it. That's the key." Anakin told them.

"Right then. Maybe you two can tiptoe through the enemy lines and solve this particular problem together." Obi-wan suggested.

"Can do, Master Kenobi." Ahsoka was more than eager for action when Anakin stopped her.

"I'll decide what we do."

"If Rex, Cody, Will and I can engage them here, you two might have a chance to get through their lines undetected here." Obi-wan laid out his plan.

"They won't have much time. The droids far outnumber us, so our ability to street fight is limited without the use of heavy cannons. They will march forward under the protection of their shield until they are right on top of our cannons, then they'll blow them away." Rex said.

"We'll figure out a way. Come on, Master. Let's go." Ahsoka eagerly took the lead.

"If we survive this, Snips, you and I are gonna have a talk." Anakin told her.

"They make quite a pair, don't they, sir? You think they have a chance?" Rex asked.

"They better. If they can't turn off that shield generator before it reaches the heavy cannons, there'll be no escape for any of us." Obi-wan said.

Will looked at the map and layout of the battlefield, drawing on all his knowledge from his time at the temple reading up on the old Republic wars and battles to figure out a plan. That and trusting his gut. His mother always said that a Mandalorian and a true warrior always trusted their gut. He checked the layout of the buildings and saw the transport ship he and Ahsoka came in when he got an idea.

"Master, I think I have an idea that could buy us and Master Skywalker a little more time." Will suggested.

"What is it?" Cody asked.

"While that shield may prevent the heavy cannons from doing any harm, it should allow that transport ship to pass through. From all the research at the temple on the wars and battle of the old Republic, having air support could make the difference. That and a little ingenuity never hurt." Will told them.

"That transport ship isn't exactly a Starfighter." Rex pointed out.

"It's not but the guns on that thing should be enough to thin out some of the droids. That along with the rest of my plan could at least delay them. Do you have any heavy demolition charges?" Will asked.

"We have some left-over Quantum explosives from when we needed to blast apart some of the crystal structure." Cody told him.

"Nice. We load that onto the ship and crash that into the droid army and it'll take out a nice chunk of them. While that's being handled, we can have the heavy guns take out parts of the road here." Will pointed to the path that the army was going down, but the shield hadn't hit that spot yet.

"Why there?" Obi-wan asked, not seeing the point.

"From what I saw on the Geonosis, droid tanks and even the droids themselves require flat surfaces to operate as best as they can. AAT-1 Hover tanks, NR-N99 Tank droids, even those spider droids work best when they have flat terrain to move around about. And I don't exactly see those battle droids capable of defending themselves while they're trying to get themselves out of a deep pothole. It could limit their mobility and make them easy targets. That along with planting mine charges along the route could take out a few more. After that, we just have to hope that Master Skywalker and Ahsoka the Ace can take down the shield generator." Will said, laying out his entire plan.

"Not a bad plan at all, sir. And the clankers definitely won't see it coming." Rex said.

"Well thought out, Commander. And it could give us more time." Cody added.

"Thanks, Cody and again, its Will." Will told him.

"Excellent work, Padawan. It would see that your extracurricular training at the temple is doing you well in the field. Let's begin preparations." Obi-wan ordered.

"I'll scrounge up a pilot for the ship." Rex told him.

"No need, Rex. It was my idea. I'm not going to risk another soldier for my idea." Will told them.

"With all due respect, sir. We're Clones. We're trained for this." Cody pointed out.

"He's right, Padawan. It's too risky." Obi-wan said. "While I admit that your plan has merit and appreciate your eagerness, this is too dangerous."

"Which is exactly why I should fly that ship. I'm an experienced pilot and my training will help me if something should happen. And while I'm sure Rex and Cody can vouch for all their men and I believe them, this plan will work best if I'm flying that ship. No offense." Will said.

"None taken." Rex and Cody replied.

"Please, Master. Let me show you what I can do. Master Yoda called me the most unorthodox Padawan he's seen in years. Just give me a chance. I'll bail out the second things go bad." Will pleaded.

Obi-wan thought it over. His Padawan did seem confident and from his previous communications with Master Yoda and Windu when he had requested a Padawan indicated he was the most skilled youngling in his generation. That along with his quick thinking with the battle plan could prove to be the key to winning but it was a risk. "Very well, but the second things go bad you pull out immediately."

"Yes, Master." Will bowed his head. "Rex, let's get that ship loaded up for a big surprise."

"Right behind you, commander." Rex replied, following Will over to the transport ship.

"You sure got an interesting Padawan, General." Cody commented.

"That I did. And I'm started to get an inkling that he may very well be just like Anakin…only time will tell if that's a good thing." Obi-wan replied.

Line Break xxxxx

The Republic heavy cannons fired a volley at the approaching shield, but it did nothing. They might as well have been throwing rocks because the shield was still standing. "Well that shield seems to be putting a crimp in my day." Obi-wan said, looking through his binoculars.

"Sir, all the mine charges have been planted." Cody reported.

"Good. Tell the men to fall back. Rex, order the guns to fire at the targeted spot." Obi-wan ordered.

"Yes, sir." Rex replied before facing the gunners. "Adjust courses to sector 2-5-1."

The gunners adjusted their aim and fired again, this time the plasma shells didn't hit the shield but destroyed part of the road that the tanks and droids would need to use. The Separatist commander got out of the hover tank he was in and took a look as a battle droid walked up to him.

**_"_****_Sir, the Clone's artillery cannons have destroyed parts of the road. I'm not sure if our tanks will be able to cross."_** The droid told him.

"Of course, they will. Keep moving!" The commander ordered and they did. The shield expanded and the tanks and droid army kept moving. Eventually the uneven terrain and large holes made by the cannons loosened up the rest of the ground, causing several droids to fall down and the tanks to slow down. With the uneven terrain and obstacles in their way, the drivers needed to be careful to maneuver and resorted to blasting their way past debris.

"Looks like Will's plan is working out so far." Rex said, looking through his scope.

"That it is." Obi-wan said, activating his comm link. "Will, the droids have slowed down. Looks like your plan is working out."

"Don't jinx me yet, Master. I'm moving into position. Get ready to see some fireworks." Will replied over the comm link. He was seated in the pilot's chair of the transport ship with BD-8 patched in the ship's system and several canisters of Quantum explosives in the seating area. "All right, BD-8. Divert backup power to the shields and let's make a good impression."

**[Affirmative beep] **BD-8 nodded as the transport ship hovered off to the ground and made its way over to the shield.

"Get those tanks moving!" The commander ordered.

**_"_****_Sorry sir but the collapse in the road is making it a lot harder for us to move_**." The droid reported.

"Then blast our way through! I want that clone army and Jedi defeated!" The commander told him.

**_"_****_Uh, sir we have an incoming signal. I think it's an enemy Starfighter."_** The droid told him.

"Impossible, all the ships have left the planet." The commander replied only for to hear several explosions.

**[Mechanical explosions & laser blasts] **The droid tanks in the front that had been trapped in place were blown to pieces along with the droids as Will's transport ship flew over in a strafing run. While the transport ship didn't have a lot of weapons, it had four laser turrets on the front that made up for it. Will made it about 300 yards when the tanks and battle droids began firing at him, so he quickly did a U-turn. The ship's shields managed to absorb a few shots before one of the tanks blasts hit the left wing.

"Dammit!" Will did his best to adjust to the rocky controls. "All right, BD-8! Set the ship to overload!"

BD-8 nodded and set the ship's power core to overload. Will adjusted the ship's course and steered it to crash into the column of tanks. He got out of the chair as BD-8 jumped onto his back and he quickly force jumped out of the falling transport ship. He fired his grappling hook at a nearby building and grappled away just as the ship crashed into the advancing droid column. It took out dozens of droids in the ensuing crash before the power core overloaded and that along with the Quantum explosives inside made a massive explosion of metal and fire.

Obi-wan, Rex, Cody, and the clones could see the explosion all the way from their position as it made a pillar of smoke and fire about 50 feet tall. The clones began cheering at a massive blow to the Separatists. "Will, come in are you there?" Obi-wan called into his comm link.

"I'm here, Master." Will replied, hanging on the side of a building thanks to his grappling hook in his forearm guard. "Me and BD-8 have a nice view of a lot of destroyed droids. How were the fireworks from your view?"

"Very entertaining. It would seem your plan is working out quite nicely. Rendezvous back at our position. Hopefully Anakin uses this time wisely." Obi-wan told him.

"I'm on my way." Will climbed into the building and began making his way back to the battalion.

The Separatist commander was not happy at all about what happened. He lost ten tanks and a thousand battle droids to that little stunt. **_"Sir, we've lost 4 tanks and over one thousand droids in that little suicide attack."_** The Droid commander told him.

"Get the rest of our tanks into position and clear that debris. I want us moving again!" The commander shouted in anger.

**_"_****_Yes sir."_** The droid replied, not wanting to get on the commander's bad side. He was not in the mood.

It took some time and even made the commander stop the energy shield from advancing for a brief period but that didn't halt the Separatists. The commander didn't waste any time in cleaning up the wreckage, he just blasted it out of the way and kept moving. Brute force and ignorance. The Separatist army resumed its march and while Will managed to take out a good chunk of the droids there were still a lot more. The mines set up along the path took out a few more and disabled one of the tanks but now it was time for close combat.

Obi-wan, Rex and his group were stationed on the roof of a nearby building for their attack just as the shield passed over them. "We're inside the shield. Just stay away from those tanks." Obi-wan told him. The advancing droid army continued to move forward as a Tri-pod droid fired at a possible defensive area for clones. Obi-wan force jumped off the building and landed on a B2 super battle droid before slicing it in half and sliced three more in half while the clone battalions came down via ascension cables, opening fire at the various droids and many began to fall. The clones quickly moved into cover by the buildings as half the droid army focused on them. Obi-wan used form 3 Soresu and deflected blaster fire with his lightsaber, showing extremely skill and prowess with his weapon.

A small rocket blew up a few droids allowing Will to land in their place. The surrounding droids aimed their blasters at him only to get thrown back by a force push. He then fired his forearm guard repulsors and sent more droids flying away. He grabbed his lightsaber and activated the cyan blue blade before slicing through droids with ease. He adopted the form 3 of Soresu to deflect blaster fire, managing to deflect a few shots back at some droids. Using the force, Will threw some crystal debris at the droids before jumping in front of some clones. He shielded them from blaster fire while they took down any battle droids they could.

"BD-8, go help the injured!" Will shouted, spinning his saber and deflecting a blaster bolt so it took the head off a battle droid.

BD nodded, scurrying down his back and quickly made its way over to a nearby clone trooper who was injured. It popped out a stim vial from its head that the trooper caught and used it to heal up. He'd still need some medical attention later, but he was good enough to get back into the fight.

"Fall back!" Rex shouted so the clones began inching back while Will covered them. One of the B2 super battle droids fired a rocket that knocked some clones to the ground so the Padawan protected them

"Go, get them out of here!" Will force pushed more droids out of the way which gave them the chance to get the injured out. The Padawan soon joined the master at his side as the two were back to back, deflecting blaster fire and slicing through droids. "Seriously, it's been over an hour! How is that shield not down yet?!"

"I don't know!" Obi-wan replied only for the shield to shut down seconds later. "Finally."

"Well, Master. I think the Separatist Commander is in that tank over there." Will pointed to the one about 100 yards away and he was right. The commander was visible and angrily yelling at a droid about why the shield was gone. "It'd be a nice way to end this fight."

"I agree. Stay close to me." Obi-wan charged forward, slicing through droids with Will following behind. The Artillery cannons resumed firing and began destroying the rear tanks and droid reinforcements, effectively cutting the commander off from retreating. Will flipped through the air with grace before landing in a crouch and sending out a force wave that destroyed a few droids. Will and Obi-wan stood side by side and sent out a force push wave together that sent a large group of droids flying away and clearing a path for them to move. Obi-wan charged forward, slicing and cutting with his saber and Will backed him up.

**_"_****_Retreat! Retreat!"_** One of the droids shouted only to get its head cut off by Will. He sliced through a B2 droid before the pieces were force pushed into small group of battle droids and jumping forward. Obi-wan sliced another droid in two and ducked as Will flipped forward and took down two more when Obi-wan quickly took point again and scraped a few more droids. It looked like they had been together for years with the way the two moved together. That was the force guiding them in unison.

"Kill them!" The Commander ordered as the gunner in the tank aimed the cannon. Will and Obi-wan were destroying droids when they saw one of the tanks aimed right at them and fired. It would have killed them both or injured them had Will not intervened.

"RAH!" Will threw out his left hand and used Force stasis to freeze the bolt in the air. Obi-wan saw his Padawan freeze the tank bolt in the air and knew that Master Yoda was right about him. He was gifted with the force but was still young and judging by the strain on Will's face and his trembling he hasn't mastered it yet. Obi-wan used the force and moved several droids into the path of the tank bolt, resulting in a large explosion. Will relaxed and quickly jumped to the side to take cover so he could rest and catch his breath. He had used force stasis to freeze or slow down things before but they weren't as fast or powerful as that tank bolt, so it took a lot out of him.

Once Obi-wan saw his Padawan was safe behind cover he charged forward and sliced the cannon of the droid tank in two. The droids inside the tank abandoned ship and scurried away as quickly as they could along with the Separatist Commander. He made a break for it only for a small grapple hook to come out of nowhere and wrap itself around the Commander's legs, tripping him up. Obi-wan looked back and saw his Padawan walked up behind him having used the grappling hook on his forearm guard to catch the commander. Will retracted the metal cable and dragged the commander back to them. Obi-wan grabbed the Separatist leader and held his lightsaber near his head.

"I'd suggest surrendering right now." Will told him.

"I agree with my Padawan." Obi-wan added when his holovid comm link went off so he activated it and Admiral Yularen appeared.

_"__General Kenobi, if you can hear me, we're through the Separatist blockade. The Separatist armada is in full retreat. Your reinforcements should be landing any moment."_ Yularen reported and to his word Republic Low Altitude Assault Transport LAAT gunships flew above.

"Not a bad end to a day, huh Master?" Will asked.

"Not bad at all." Obi-wan replied as one LAAT gunship flew down next to them. The blast doors opened up and several clone troopers got out along with Master Yoda. "You're timing is perfect, Master Yoda."

"Always in the right spot at the right time." Will added. Two clone troopers took the Separatist Commander and escorted him away into a gunship where he would be put into a ship for transport back to Coruscant to stand trial. "It's good to see you again, Master Yoda."

"And good to see you again, it is Padawan Vizsla. A moment alone your master, I require." Yoda told him.

"Sure thing. I'll go help Cody with the wounded." Will left with some clone troopers to organize the transport for the wounded.

"Pleased with your new Padawan, I assume you are?" Yoda asked.

"I am. You were right. He's easily one of the best Padawan learners I've seen in a long time. His use of the force is something I've only seen with newly anointed Jedi Knights. And his quick thinking on the battlefield along with his skill is something you'd expect with someone beyond his years." Obi-wan commented.

"Skilled warrior, he is. A Jedi there has not been like him since his ancestor Tarre Vizsla. His training and skills in combat in his genetics they appear to be." Yoda told him. "Very special Will Vizsla, he is. Strong in the force and in the lightsaber, he trains himself. Yet clouded his future is. Still much to learn and maturity there is for him. Train him well, Master Kenobi."

"Of course, Master Yoda." Obi-wan bowed his head.

Will helped load the injured clones onto the ships for transport back to the command ships in space. Lucky enough his diversion and plan managed to save a lot of lives then if they had just tried to hunker down. He used the force to help carry the injured clones onto the ship and BD-8 helped stabilized those that needed immediate attention.

"Are all battles going to be as unpredictable as this one?" Will asked.

"When you've been through enough battles like this one then you stop asking questions like that." Cody replied. "You handled yourself very well in the field. I've seen plenty of Jedi fight but not one like you."

"Well that's because there is no Jedi like me. Most Jedi learn to fight at the temple with lightsabers, but I learned to fight since I could walk in ways specifically designed against Jedi." Will explained which made the clone commander confused. "I'm Mandalorian by birth. We're born warriors and warfare is pretty much our history. Even my ancestor Tarre Vizsla was a Mandalorian Jedi and history says he was one of the best. It's been honed into my DNA for generations. My mother often told me that when a Mandalorian was in battle, the natural instincts of hundreds of years of battle would flow through and guide them. That and I'm just naturally a good fighter. Was the best duelist at the academy for years before I was promoted to Padawan."

"And after seeing you in combat I can say you earned it." Cody commented when Will's comm link went off.

"Yes, Master?" Will answered.

_"__Will, you have a new mission. You will be going with Anakin and Ahsoka to the Teth system."_ Obi-wan told him.

"Teth? I wasn't aware that the Republic had any outposts in the Teth system." Will commented.

_"__We don't. It's a mission direct from the Jedi Council. Jabba the Hutt's son has been kidnapped and he's currently being held hostage in the Teth System. We'll need the Hutt's allegiance to give us an advantage over the Separatists. You'll be going to help rescue his son while I go negotiate a treaty with him."_ Obi-wan informed him.

"Are you sick of me already, master? And here I was thinking we were getting along. Should I go with you? I'll admit I don't have a lot of experience with diplomacy that doesn't involve a blaster or a lightsaber, but I could prove useful." Will told him.

_"__Another day, my young Padawan. I'll handle Jabba while you backup Anakin and Ahsoka. Besides, my ship only fits one and from what I saw on the battlefield, I think you'll fare better in the combat part of this mission. Report to Captain Rex and get ready to leave. Once the negotiations are complete, I'll join you."_ Obi-wan said.

"Roger that, Master and best of luck. May the force be with you." Will bid him goodbye.

_"__And may the force with you as well."_ Obi-wan replied before ending the call.

"I'll see you later, Cody." Will made his way over to the 501st Command ship. Cody's leg buckled as BD-8 brushed past him on the way to catch up. Now it was on to Teth and to find the Hutt.

**Line Break xxxxx**

**Teth System**

The 501st Clone Legion was aboard _the Resolute_, which was Master Skywalker's flagship Venator-Class Star Destroyer on their way to the Teth system to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son. They were on their own so hopefully it was an easy mission and there weren't any surprises. Will was beside Master Skywalker and R2 as a shuttle landed in the loading bay carrying the scout team from the planet.

"Lieutenant, did the kidnappers see you?" Anakin asked.

"No, sir. We're the best scouts in the regiment." He replied.

"What about the bounty hunters? Are they still down there?" The Jedi asked.

"I don't think so. We haven't seen them in a while." The lieutenant replied.

"Well, what are we up against?" The clone held up a holovid communicator and showed the layout of the temple the Hutt was being held.

"Looks like at least two droid battalions protecting the monastery. It's heavily fortified so you won't be able to land there."

"Good work. Get some rest." Anakin said before leaving to go find Ahsoka.

"Two droid battalions? What rival pirate crew can afford two droid battalions?" Will asked himself.

"Something wrong, Padawan?" Anakin asked.

"I'm not sure yet, Master Skywalker but I'm getting a funny feeling about all this." Will told him. "I mean, we were told that Jabba the Hutt's son was kidnapped by rival pirates but what kind of pirates have two entire droid battalions with them? Wouldn't the droid army suggest the Separatists are behind this?"

"You're not wrong in your assumption, Padawan. I don't like this situation at all so hopefully things go down without any problems." Anakin said.

"In your experience, has anything ever go down without any problems?" Will asked for clarification while Anakin took a moment to think.

"Fair point." The Jedi Master replied as they saw Ahsoka talk to a group of clones about what happened on Christophsis.

"That seems like a lot even for a Jedi?"

"I heard you were surrounded by droids. How did you ever get the shield down?"

"Ok, so there's a wall behind him with a hole in the middle. So, I pull the wall down on top of the droids, destroying them and saving the general." Ahsoka recounted which made all the clones laugh.

"Is that true, sir?" Rex asked.

"Well, most of it." Anakin admitted which made them chuckle and even BD-8 and R2 laughed.

"Impressive but it was because of my quick thinking that we were able to hold off the droids while you two took your time with the shield generator." Will added.

"Yeah. I've never seen a Commander use a transport ship as a makeshift bomber." One of the clones said as the rest laughed.

"All right, men. We've still got a job to do." Anakin told them.

"You heard the general. Move it!" Rex ordered and they all got ready.

"Would this be a good time to teach you both that a Jedi is humble young Padawans?" Anakin asked.

"So, you never bragged about your battlefield accomplishments?" Will rhetorically asked, knowing Anakin's reputation.

"We were just trying to keep the boys inspired is all." Ahsoka added.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure how much inspiration you're gonna get from Ahsoka the Ace over here." Will joked only for Ahsoka to punch him in the arm.

"Ahsoka the Ace?" Anakin was a little confused.

"Let's just say that at the temple, little Ahsoka here had a speeder mishap that destroyed part of the temple grounds. I've never laughed so hard in my life." Will and BD-8 laughed, R2 giggled and even Anakin chuckled a bit.

"I keep telling you it wasn't my fault. That stupid speeder was messed up anyway. I'm a great pilot." She defended herself.

"Hopefully I'm not around to find out." He joked.

Everyone piled into the gunships to head down to the planet and recover the small Hutt. Will, Anakin, and Ahsoka were in the gunship with Rex and a squad of clone troopers. A little bumpy ride through the skies but they were heading right towards the monastery. Obi-wan soon called in with an update.

_"__All right, Anakin, here's the story. Jabba has given us only one planetary rotation to get his son back home to Tatooine safe and sound."_

"It won't take us that long, Master." Anakin assured him.

_"__Well, take extreme care. We have no idea who's holding Jabba's son. When I've finished negotiations with him, I will join you."_ Obi-wan told him before signing off.

"Stay close to me, if you can." Anakin said to Ahsoka.

"It won't be a problem, Master." She replied in confidence.

"This isn't practice, Ahsoka." He cautioned her.

"I know, and I'll try not to get you killed." She replied with a smirk when their gunships rumbled due to droid flak fire.

"Sir, we're taking heavy fire." The pilot reported.

"Close the blast shields, lieutenant! Get us under those guns!" Anakin ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The pilot retracted the blast shields and all ships flew close to the ground.

"Ridge, your comms got static."

"Got it."

"Red Light, stand by."

Will looked over at Ahsoka and smiled. "Be careful out there, Ace."

"You too, Mando." She replied with a smirk.

"Welcome to paradise, Rock jumpers." The pilot saluted before the blast doors open and everyone poured out. Blaster fire came from above, but the foliage and surrounding trees were giving them cover so they rushed forward. Ahsoka activated her green lightsaber and deflected few shots as she and the group moved forward. Three All Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE) walkers landed on the ground and began firing back at the droids.

"Follow me!" Anakin led the assault force to the base of the mountain where the monastery was perched on, giving them some cover. One battle droid was unlucky to fall straight to the ground in a loud crash.

"That's gotta hurt." Will said as BD-8 gave an affirmative boop. He used his binocular scope to get a good view of the droids perched up on the monastery. "BD-8, firing calculations."

BD-8 looked up at the droids and did some quick math before giving out several beeps in response. "Ascension cables!" Rex shouted as all the clones fired cables from their guns and began making their way up the rock face with Anakin using a long vine to climb up.

"Try and keep up, Mando!" Ahsoka shouted, having jumped onto a nearby walker for the ride. Will fired his grappling hook up and used it to run up the side of the mountain, heading over to the closest Walker gunner which just so happened to be Ahsoka's. "Hey, get your own ride!"

"Gunner, adjust your fire to grid 7-6-5.9." Will ordered as the gunner adjusted his targeting coordinates. He fired the first shot and managed to take out a large portion of the monastery railing and a couple of droids. "Excellent. Fire for effect!"

"Yes, sir." The clone replied, firing again.

He hooked his grappling cable to the walker and swung over to the next one to give the gunner it's firing coordinates when he saw the third walker get hit by heavy fire and fall back down to the ground. "BD-8, I need firing coordinates for those spider drones!"

BD-8 adjusted its vision and calculated new coordinates while Will deflected blaster fire with his lightsaber. His droid gave him an affirmative beep with the new coordinates, so he quickly rushed over to the gunner. "BD-8, input the target coordinates. Gunner, target those spider drones before they take out anymore walkers!"

BD-8 patched into the targeting computer and highlighted the positions of the spider drones that were on latched onto the side of the mountain, giving the clone gunner an easier time finding them. He managed to blast a few to pieces which was a good thing when several battle droids in speeder turrets did a strafing run and nearly blasted Ahsoka off the walker she was standing on.

"BD-8, grab on! We're going for a ride!" Will shouted as BD-8 jumped onto his shoulder before he force jumped into the air and fired his grappling hook. It managed to snag onto one of the speeder turrets which was a good thing so Will didn't fall to his death. The droid twisted and turned in order to shake him loose but wasn't good enough as the grapple line retracted and he knocked the droid off the controls. The other droids fired at him, but Master Skywalker jumped in and sliced apart the rest of the droids before taking control over one of the turrets and riding it to the top. Will did the same thing before looking back at Ahsoka. "Try to keep up, Ace!"

"No fair!" Ahsoka shouted back before tapping on the pilot's window. "Hurry up, trooper!"

Will and Anakin flew up the side of the mountain, blasting the spider droids perched on the rock face by using the blasters on the speeder turrets. They sped up and zoomed past the droids perched by the railing at the monastery before jumping off and landing in the middle of the courtyard.

**_"_****_Surrender Jedi!"_** One of the droids ordered, thinking they had them outnumbered and outgunned. How wrong they were. Anakin adopted a smirk on his face before quickly activated his sapphire blue lightsaber. Will activated his cyan blue colored blade and the two quickly dispatched the droids which resulted in some mechanical screaming. Will sliced the last B2 Super battle droid in half when four destroyer droids rolled into the courtyard, unfolded, and activated their shields.

"Blast it, Ahsoka. I told you to stay close to me." Anakin said only for the droids to blow up in an explosion.

Will and Anakin looked back to see the two walkers had made it up and Ahsoka was standing next to the cannon. "I can't get much closer, Skyguy."

"I knew you'd get here, Snips, eventually." Anakin said.

"Always in time to save your life." She replied.

"Yeah or get us blown to pieces." Will added with an affirmative boop from BD-8.

"We're all clear here, General." Rex reported.

"Good work, Rex. Have some men look after the wounded." Anakin ordered.

"Roger that, sir. Gunships are standing by at a safe distance." Rex replied.

Will walked over to a downed battle droid, happy the battle was over quickly and with minimal causalities, but something was wrong. He looked up at the temple and could have sworn he saw something.

"There are too many droids for them to be renegades. I sense Count Dooku's hand in this. Looks like your suspicions were right, Padawan." Anakin said to Will when he noticed he was looking at the temple. "What's wrong?"

"I think we're being watched. Let's find that Hutt and get out of here quickly." Will added.

"No problem. The hard part's over." Ahsoka commented.

"I wish you wouldn't have said that." Her master replied as she, Anakin, Rex, and a group of clones entered the temple.

"BD-8, splice into one of the droids and see what you can dig up through its memory banks." Will suggested and BD nodded before scurrying over to a nearby battle droid. The splicing tool on its left leg plugged into the droid's head so BD-8 could sort through the files.

"Sir, General Skywalker is heading inside the temple." One of the clones, Paxer told him.

"Thanks, Paxer. I'll head inside in a bit. I've still got a funny feeling about all this but finding out who sent these droids here should help alleviate that." Will replied.

**[Frantic beeping]** BD-8 finished with the splicing and seemed to be frantic.

"What's wrong with your droid?" Paxer asked.

"He's saying that it wasn't rival pirates who sent these droids here but the Separatists on the order of Count Dooku from someone on Coruscant. Someone with an axe to grind against Jabba the Hutt and went to the Separatists for help." Will explained. "Chances are this place is a trap. Make sure the Walkers are fully loaded and the ammo is distributed. Demo, do you have any heavy explosives?"

"I'm always packing, sir." Demo pat his backpack.

"Good. I want charges set up on that arch over there and outside in the courtyard. If I'm wrong, I'll personally pick them up later but if I'm right then it could end up helping us." Will ordered.

"Right away, sir." Demo and several of the clones got to work.

"BD, give me the rest of the stims you have. I'll tend to the injured. I want you to splice into any other droids you find and get any more information. The more we know the more we'll be able to deal with it." Will said and BD nodded, dispensing six more stim vials before scurrying off to do some more splicing. The injured were looked after and would be all right enough should a fight break out.

Anakin and Ahsoka soon returned with the young Hutt but he was sick and needed to get some medical attention. They put him in a small backpack to carry him around, but the baby got fussy as babies do. Will decided to contact his master to figure out what was going on.

"Master Kenobi, come in. Do you read me?" Will activated his comm link and holovid built into his forearm guard and he soon appeared.

_"__Will, I hear you. How's mission? Have you recovered the Huttling_?" Obi-wan asked so Will showed him Anakin and Ahsoka tending to the baby.

"We got him and had two droid battalions waiting for us. I had BD splice into one and he recovered data about orders from Count Dooku to hold Jabba's son here with the help from someone on Coruscant. I figure it's someone with an axe to grind against Jabba and now we got put in the middle of this." He reported.

_"__I bet Count Dooku is using us to somehow get Jabba to join the Separatists."_ Obi-wan suggested.

"If you would permit Master, maybe I could send word to Master Kota? He's on Coruscant and happens to be a pretty good detective. He could figure out who Count Dooku is working with." Will said.

_"__Not a bad suggestion. I'll send word to the temple myself. Hopefully it'll reach him, and we can get this whole matter settled quickly."_ Obi-wan hoped.

**[Frantic beeping and booping]** BD-8 scurried onto Will's back because two Separatist droid ships just entered the atmosphere.

"Oh, boy. That's not good." Will hated being right.

_"__Will, what's going on?"_ Obi-wan asked.

"I think we just walked into a trap. We've got incoming droids. We could use some extra help, master." Will told him.

_"__I'll get there as soon as I can. Protect the Hutt, Padawan!"_ Obi-wan shouted just as the comm link ended.

"Defensive Positions!" Rex shouted as the clones moved into position. Will jumped over to Anakin and Ahsoka who was carrying the Hutt.

"Master Kenobi is on his way but we're on our own for now!" Will shouted.

"Here they come! We've got spiders inbound!" one of the clones shouted as the droids started coming in through the same passageway from the courtyard they took. Will activated his saber and began deflected blaster fire. The clones fired back, and the two walkers managed to take down some Vulture droids, but the transport ships landed in the courtyard and more began pouring out.

"Get inside!" Anakin told Ahsoka so she ran into the Temple with R2. Will was out in front of some troopers, blocking some blaster fire which managed to hit a few droids but there were a lot coming.

"Demo, blow the mine charges!" Will shouted as Demo pressed the button on a detonator. That detonator was tied to the charges he placed around the courtyard and once that went off it destroyed dozens of droids, but more were coming. The tanks and gunners managed to take out over a hundred before some well-placed shots by the spider drones hit the cockpit.

"Fallback!" Anakin ordered so the clones began moving back into the temple.

"Demo, blow the arch!" Will shouted, jumping behind one of the wrecked walkers.

"Eat this clankers!" He hit the second detonator and the arch above the main passageway blew up, raining debris onto the droids and making a huge obstacle in the path. The last of the clones got inside followed by Anakin and Will so they closed the gate while the droids were outside along with their leader, the cloaked sith apprentice to Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress.

**_"_****_Mistress the Jedi have barricaded themselves inside the main vault."_** The droid commander informed her.

"They have nowhere to run." She said in evil glee.

Line Break xxxxx

With them cut off and a large security door the only thing keeping a battalion of droids from marching in, things weren't looking good for Anakin and his group. The clones steadied themselves and triple checked their weapons before moving into defensive positions.

"Captain, we'll stay here until General Kenobi arrives with reinforcements." Anakin told Rex when he noticed the look Ahsoka was giving him.

"Master, do you honestly think we can hold them off? We've got to find a way out of here." She told him.

"Our mandate is to protect this Hutt and that's what we're going to do, Ahsoka." Her master informed her.

"But Master Skywalker, we won't be able to do that once those droids get through that door and it's only a matter of time before they do. The second they come through there the Hutt is in the middle of a fire fight and any stray blaster or explosion could kill him. Ahsoka's right, we need to get him out of here and to Tatooine as quickly as possible or else Jabba goes to work with the Separatists and the whole war efforts get a lot harder." Will told him.

"And I suppose you have an idea?" Anakin asked as BD-8 and R2 happily beeped.

"I believe so. Droid willing." He replied.

"All right, I'll trust you two on this. Rex, hold them here for as long as you can." Anakin told Rex as he and the Padawans walked inside the temple.

"Yes, sir. Get ready, men. Let's turn those clankers into scrap metal!" Rex shouted.

They walked over to a nearby terminal so R2 could get some information. "If there's a way out of here, Artooie will fine it." Ahsoka said as R2 plugged into the terminal.

"BD-8, go stealth mode and do a quick survey of the temple. Let us know if there are any traps heading our way." Will told it. BD-8 nodded before scurrying down his back and sliding through a small hole in the wall.

"A droid that small has a stealth mode?" Anakin asked.

"No, stealth mode is what I call it when I want BD-8 to do some sneaking around. We did it all the time back at the temple when I was in the mood for a midnight snack." Will replied. "If he can sneak around the Jedi temple then avoiding the droids should be easy."

"Let's hope this gambit of yours works." Anakin said when he noticed the baby Hutt was asleep. "Finally asleep, huh? Put him down. Get some rest yourself. It's been a long day for you both."

"I agree with you on that one." Will said, sliding down the wall to sit down.

"Well unlike you I'm strong." Ahsoka said, holding her tongue out at him so he did the same. "I can hold him, Master. I'm not tired."

"Ok, suit yourself. I don't see why you won't just listen to me." Anakin said to her.

"Please, she doesn't listen to anyone. That's her biggest problem." Will joked only for Ahsoka to force throw pebbles at his head. "Ow."

"I do listen to you, Master. I just don't like being treated like a youngling." Ahsoka replied.

"FYI, Ahsoka, we are younglings. Even if I am two years older than you, we're still pretty young." Will commented.

"You both must have patience. What are you trying to prove anyway?" Anakin asked.

"That I'm not too young to be your padawan." She replied. Anakin took a breath before walking up to her.

"Ahsoka, a very wise Jedi once said, nothing happens by accident. It is the will of the force that you are at my side. I just want to keep you there in one piece." He told her.

Ahsoka understood what he said and put down the young Hutt to get some rest. "I wonder if my relationship with my master will be like that." Will asked only for Ahsoka and Anakin to look at him funny. "I ruined the moment, didn't I?" Blaster fire and rumbling shook the room they were in. The droids got through. "Oh, boy. That doesn't sound good."

**[Positive beeps]** R2 began projecting a holographic layout of the temple and highlighted an area in the rear.

"A backdoor landing platform!" Ahsoka said.

"We'll call for a gunship when we get there. Lead the way, R2." Anakin said when he noticed the backpack was empty. "Wait a minute. Ahsoka, where's Stinky?"

"You told me to put him down." She replied.

"Find him!" he told the both of them. That's when he heard some noises and saw the Hutt had crawled under a bench. "Come out of there you grubby little slug!"

Will's comm link went off with a message from BD-8. It sounded like droid communications, but Will was fluent. "BD-8 says a bunch of droids and a pale woman with red lightsabers has Rex and the others."

"Ventress is here." Anakin said and the point was reinforced when his comm link went off with a message from Rex instead Rex didn't say General or Commander but Anakin's name. "She's here for the Hutt. We need to go!"

"BD-8, come back." Will said before he, Anakin, and Ahsoka left for the landing platform.

R2 led the way through the temple and they managed to make it to the landing platform, and it was perfect. "Skywalker to Obi-wan. Mark my position. I need a medical ship immediately. Do you copy?"

_"__Anak—do—read me? A-kin?"_ Obi-wan's response was gargled and had a lot of static.

"I can't get a hold of Obi-wan." He said when a beep alert came in from Rex. "Rex, come in! Do you copy?!"

_"__I read you, General. We're pinned down in the courtyard."_ Rex replied and blaster fire could be heard in the background.

"Do you need help?" he asked only to hear more blaster fire. "I'll take that as a yes. We're on our way."

"Master, Stinky is really sick. He's turning every shade of green except the one he's supposed to be. Our mission was to get him to Tatooine alive." Ahsoka reminded him.

"Obi-wan will get here eventually. Right now, we need Rex's help to find a ship." Anakin told her only for R2 to get their attention. They looked and saw two destroyer droids rolling towards them.

"Great, rolling death balls." Ahsoka said only for Will to fire his wrist rocket and blow them to pieces before they could unfold. "Or not."

"We need a new plan. I'll go help Rex and the others but you and Ahsoka need to stay here. That Hutt needs to stay safe and bringing him into a firefight will get him killed." Will told them only for them to see Ventress walking towards them. "Oh crap."

"R2, get the door!" Anakin shouted only for the door to close instantly. "Nice job."

"I don't think R2, did that." Ahsoka said, patting R2 right next to him. They looked at the console and saw it was BD-8 who closed the door.

"Always coming in when we need you buddy. Nice job." Will said with a smile as BD-8 climbed up his shoulder. Ventress began cutting through the door with her two lightsabers. "And now we need a new, new plan."

"I think right now would be a good time for a retreat." Anakin suggested.

"Retreat? That's a new word for you." Ahsoka commented.

"Maybe into the jungle?" they ran over to the edge only to see two spider droids. Said droids began blasting the platform they were on, scaring the native dragonflies. "Looks like we're out of options."

"Maybe not. Look!" Will pointed to a neighboring small peak and they saw another landing platform with a small ship. "I think that's our way out of here."

"Nice job, Padawan. I'll be right back." Anakin ran forward and jumped off the platform, falling through the air before landing on the back of a dragonfly and trying to control it as it flew around.

"Is he expecting us to do that?" Will asked when Ventress finally cut through the door. He and Ahsoka activated their lightsabers, ready to defend themselves. Ahsoka held her green blade in reverse blade while Will held his cyan blue saber with two hands in front of him in a typical stance.

"Look what I have here. Two young Jedi." Ventress charged forward and slashed at them that they managed to block. Ahsoka sliced her side while Will lunged at her head but the Sith parried both attacks. She sliced and slashed at both of them before making them both duck and putting them in a saber lock. She followed up with two more strikes before knocking them back. Ahsoka fell onto her back while Will skid on the ground, keeping his saber in front of him. "Where is Skywalker?!"

"Right here, Ventress!" They heard as Anakin showed up on the back of a large dragonfly. Said dragonfly then swatted Ventress with its large tail.

"Time to go!" Ahsoka was right as the platform they were on began to give out.

"Hop on, you two!" Anakin shouted, flying above.

The two quickly jumped and grabbed onto the legs of the dragonfly while R2 activated his boosters to fly after them. "Can I just say that this is very uncomfortable!" Will shouted.

"Duly noted, Padawan." Anakin replied as they flew to the ship. They landed on the platform and said ship was an old spice freighter that smugglers would use.

"What a piece of junk." Will commented.

"We'd be better off using the bug." Ahsoka added.

"Get aboard and prime the engines. Assuming it has engines." Anakin said as the two Padawans walked over to the ship when they noticed the crates. Probably either smuggled goods or plunder treasure from the temple. That's when Ahsoka noticed the helper droid from the temple.

"Hey! You're that caretaker droid. I wondered what happened to you." Ahsoka said.

**_"_****_Oh, young one. I mean, soon to be Jedi Knight. I had to get away from that terrible—Ok, everything's loaded. Let's get out of here."_** They saw three battle droids come down the ramp. That caretaker droid was working with the Separatists and lured them into the trap.

"You tin plated traitor." Ahsoka was pissed and was ready to slice him in two.

**_"_****_Blast her!"_** The droid shouted as the battle droids opened fire which she easily deflected back and destroyed the battle droids. Before the caretaker droid could leave it was suddenly frozen in place before its entire body was crushed and squished together like a piece of paper. Ahsoka looked behind her to see Will walk up with his right hand clenched.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Will told her, kicking the scrapped droid to the side and walking up the ramp.

"I had that, you know." She followed him onto the ship.

"I know but my way is faster. And judging by the shape this thing is in, we're gonna need all the time to get this running. Head to the cockpit, I'm going to do some work on the systems and see what kind of condition they're in." Will looked around for a tool kit while Ahsoka and Anakin went to the cockpit to try and get the ship moving.

He managed to find one and got to work on some of the ship's system, starting with the engines and hyperdrive. The ship was old and needed some serious work if it was going to be something you wanted to fly…let's just hope it's good enough to get off the planet. Will was under the floor grate, adjusting some wires and using a plasma cuff to fix some circuits.

_"__Will, see if you spark the ignition couplers."_ Anakin told him using the comm link.

"Hang on." Will maneuvered his body and made his way over to the ignition couplers which were pretty shot but operational. He tried sparking them but all they heard was the engine stalling. "No, maybe it's the quantum manifold?"

_"__No, I don't think that will do it? Try opening the fuel lifters all the way."_ Anakin suggested.

"BD-8, would you mind?" Will asked as BD-8 scurried off his back and went to do that which managed to start the engines. "Thank the force."

_"__Let's get out of here!"_ Anakin began piloting the ship off the platform which resulted in the ship shaking.

"Let's just hope this bucket of bolts can stay together long enough." Will saw some wires and circuits spark so he and BD-8 got to work on fixing them before it caused a chain reaction that blew the ship to pieces.

There was some fancy flying that they managed to survive even with the droids after them but an attack at a hangar kept them from docking with a Republic cruiser, so they went into hyperspace alone. It was up to the three of them to keep the Hutt safe and get him to Jabba's in one piece. First things first, make sure the ship would make it there in once piece.

Line Break xxxxx

**Coruscant**

Word got back to Master Yoda and Chancellor Palpatine that Anakin and the two Padawans rescued Jabba's son and were heading to Tatooine but that Count Dooku was working with whoever organized the Hutt's kidnapping. Senator Padme Amidala heard what was going on and wanted to help so she decided to get some information. There was a representative from Tatooine with ties to Jabba the Hutt on Coruscant so maybe there was a lead she could find. That lead took her to a club where Ziro the Hutt, Jabba's Uncle was residing while he was on Coruscant. That unfortunately led her to getting thrown out but with some quick thinking she snuck back in just when Ziro was having a holovid conversation with someone.

"Your plan is falling apart, Count Dooku. A senator from the Galactic Republic was here. What if she found out I helped you kidnap Jabba's son?" Ziro asked.

_"__Don't worry. I have convinced Jabba that the Jedi have murdered his son and are on their way to kill him."_ Dooku told him.

"Jabba will slay the Jedi on sight." Ziro said.

_"__Then the mighty Jedi order will be forced to bring Jabba to justice. And you my friend will be left to take control of all the Hutt clans."_ Dooku told him.

"Then the plan against my nephew Jabba has succeeded. But what about this meddling Senator?" Ziro asked.

_"__If she continues her investigation, terminate her with extreme prejudice. I'll have someone sent to get it done."_ Dooku informed him.

Once Senator Amidala heard that she made her exit but ran into an Assassin droid under the employ of Ziro. She managed to blast it but another droid disarmed her and threw her in front of the Hutt.

"Count Dooku. So, the poisonous traitor rears his ugly head once again." Padme said in disgust.

_"__I'm equally delighted remaking your acquaintance Senator…Amidala, isn't it?"_ Dooku asked.

"I was just leaving." She said only for the droid to keep her in place.

_"__I'm sorry but that cannot be permitted now. Ziro, this particular Senator is extremely valuable to my Separatist allies. They will pay a handsome price for her."_ Dooku said which intrigued him.

"Hmmm, I like the sound of that." Ziro said, licking his lips. "Take her to the dungeons!"

"You will regret this Ziro!" Padme shouted as she was dragged away.

"No, I think I will become rich with this!" Ziro exclaimed in delight.

The droid dragged her away only for a green lightsaber to slice its head clean off before its torso was cleaved in two. Padme quickly grabbed the droid's blaster as the Assassin droid by Ziro opened fire, but the blaster bolts were deflected and then the lightsaber was thrown and impaled the droid in the head. Padme and Ziro got a good look at the mysterious savior and it was a human Jedi. He was elderly, judging by his white hair and from the scars on his face he was a man who had seen a lot of combat. His white hair was done up in a bun and he was wearing modified Jedi clothing adorned with various armor plates signifying he was a warrior. This was Jedi Master Rahm Kota.

"Looks like I got here just in time." Kota said, walking up to the Hutt and pulling his saber back to his hand.

"Who are you?" Ziro asked.

_"__Master Kota. It's been a while."_ Dooku said, indicating familiarity with the Jedi.

"Dooku. Guess working with slime like this shows just how far you and your Separatists are willing to go." Kota replied, pointing his saber at the Hutt's face. "Unfortunately, your little gambit was doomed to failure from the beginning."

_"__And why is that?"_ Dooku asked, interesting in why Kota thought so.

"Because a very talented Padawan I know is on the mission to return the Hutt. He's one of the best trained there is, and he will ensure the mission is complete." Kota informed him which made Dooku chuckle.

_"__One lone Padawan won't be enough for what is waiting for them on Tatooine."_ Dooku replied before ending the transmission.

"Clearly he's never met a Mandalorian Padawan before." Kota said to himself as Padme walked up next to him with her blaster aimed at Ziro. "Are you all right, Senator Amidala?"

"Yes, thank you Master Kota. How did you know I needed help?" She asked.

"I was coming here anyway. Master Kenobi sent word to me that Dooku and the Separatists were working with someone on Coruscant and once I learned Ziro the Hutt was here it seemed like a good place to start. It's a good thing I was here." Kota replied, inching his saber closer to Ziro's face. "Now we have the real culprit."

"I had no choice! Dooku said he'd kill me if I didn't kidnap Jabba's son. You have to believe me. I love that Huttlet." Ziro pleaded.

"Oh, I believe you. Just not sure if Jabba will." Padme replied, keeping her blaster aimed at his head.

**Tatooine**

Anakin, Ahsoka and Will arrived on Tatooine, but the landing was less than ideal. There were several starfighters waiting for them and that resulted in a crash landing and led them walking all the way to Jabba's palace in the sand. The two suns have set and the glow of the moon lit the desert as Anakin continued his trek to Jabba's palace with the Hutt secured in the backpack. He kept walking but stopped when he saw a speeder bike show up with Count Dooku, so he activated his lightsaber.

"Surrender the Huttlet or die, Skywalker." Dooku unleashed a barrage of force lightning that Anakin blocked with his saber. The Sith Lord activated his red curved hilt saber and charged, meeting Anakin in a saber lock before he was pushed back. Anakin attacked with a jab and a slice only for Dooku to block and counter all of them. He ducked and backed away before parrying a few attacks of his own and the two enemies engaged in another saber lock. "Your training has come a long way, boy."

Anakin pushed him back and pressed the advantage with various powerful and quick strikes, indicating that he wasn't exactly happy Dooku talked down to him. Despite his youth and skill, Dooku was able to keep up with superior training and years of experiences. The old Sith lord performed some fancy blocks, dodges and parries that rendered all of Anakin's attacks useless. The younger Jedi continued to push the offensive with powerful strikes, but the fight was pretty much dead even. Dooku performed a fancy parry accompanied by a saber windmill before blocking a few more strikes and taking some steps back.

"Now I remember. This was your home planet, wasn't it?" Dooku asked and as soon as he noticed Anakin's angry expression, he knew what to push. "I sense your strong feelings. Feelings of pain, loss."

Anakin summoned the force and sent a wave of sand into Dooku's face. It sent him skidding back a bit but the old Sith lord stayed on his feet, spinning his saber in front of his face to give him some room before doing the same thing Skywalker did but much stronger. It hit Anakin in the face, blinding him and the combined power knocked him onto his back and sent his lightsaber into the sand. Dooku charged forward with a downward slash, ready to cleave Skywalker in two but the Jedi pulled his lightsaber to him and blocked the attack at the last second. Anakin parried him to the side and got back to his feet only for Dooku to push him forward and landed a long horizontal slash to the backpack where the Huttlet was residing.

"You have failed, Skywalker. I have just killed Jabba's son." Dooku said with a smile.

"You've fallen for my little trick, Count. It's nothing but rocks." Anakin tossed the backpack onto the sand and the strap came undone to show it held nothing but rocks. "The Huttlet is with my Padawan and another, safely at Jabba's palace."

"I expected such treachery from a Jedi. I assure you my web is strong enough to catch two little insignificant Padawans." Dooku told him.

"They're more skillful than you think." Anakin warned him.

"You deceive yourself!" Dooku charged forward but Anakin was quick and met his attack head on.

**Jabba's Palace**

About 300 yards from Jabba's palace, the two Padawans and two droids were closing in with the young Hutt. Will was leading them with BD-8 on his back and Ahsoka right on his tail, the young Huttlet secured to her back by a makeshift fabric strap. R2 brought up their rear, the droid moving a little slower than normal due to the sandy terrain. They kept moving when Will sense something going on, so he had them stop. The ground began to shake so he activated his cyan blue lightsaber while Ahsoka activated her green saber when three IG-100 Magna guards came out of the sand in front of them.

The three advanced droid bodyguards activated their electrostaffs and the purple electricity sparked off the edges. Once Will saw those electrostaffs activate, his anger began to flare up. "These clankers have no idea who they're messing with." Will commented before turning to Ahsoka. "Ahsoka, stay back with the Huttling!"

Will charged forward in a force jump and landed in the middle of the droids, attacking with quick strikes but the droids kept up with him. He parried and blocked the attacks of one of the droids when he saw the other two head after Ahsoka. An electrostaff would have hit him in the head had he not ducked but just barely as the electricity was close enough to spark his hair and get it to stand up. He rolled out of the way and fired his grapple line at the leg of one the droids attacking Ahsoka and yanked hard, causing it to fall to the ground. He flipped his saber into a reverse grip and moved it to his back to narrowly block a strike from behind before doing a forward flip and kick the droid in the face. He landed on his feet and engaged the other droid while the one he kicked fixed its face before helping its comrade deal with the Jedi. Ahsoka was dealing with her own Magna guard, blocking and parrying attacks while trying to find her own openings but these things were relentless.

R2 activated its electric taser and zapped the Magna guard attacking Ahsoka in the leg only for the droid to get knocked away. "R2!" She shouted before quickly blocking a strike to the face. Will was caught in the middle of the two Magna guards, moving quickly and using all his training to try and not get overtaken. The two droids quickly realized this Jedi was a threat and would be a continued obstacle in their main objective in killing the Huttlet, so they focused on getting rid of him first. They upped the speed of their attacks and trapped him in between the two of them so he now had to defend his front and back. It took all his training, speed, and agility to keep up with the two droids back to back but knew it wouldn't be long before one of them got a hit and then it was over after that. He blocked a front strike before quickly parrying one from behind when he saw Ahsoka slid down the sand hill.

"Ahsoka!" Will shouted, quickly force jumping in the air and into a backflip so the two droids hit one another with their staffs. Will backflipped through the air before landing a few feet away in a crouch. He then charged forward, ready to slice those droids into scrap metal. He fired his repulsors first and the shockwave caused the droids to stagger back which gave him his opening. He vault-kicked one of the droids before doing a Superman lightsaber lunge at the other, slicing its left arm off. The droid used its remaining arm to try and hit him in the head, but he easily blocked it. With only one arm, it couldn't move the staff fast enough to block his low slash that cut its left leg off before he slashed its torso in two and then cut off the head. The Magna guard fell to the ground in pieces while the other one attacked Will who blocked and parried. With it being one on one, the battle was a lot easier for Will to handle as he just had to focus on one droid.

Block to the left, parry to the right, low slash, parry to the middle, duck, feint right, sidestep, parry up and then roll to the side. Will saw his opening and engaged in his attack with multiple quick strikes to the head and torso that the droid blocked before doing a figure 8 saber twirl, showing off a great deal of proficiency in Form 2 Makashi lightsaber combat. He managed to nick the droid in the side and cut its left arm off at the elbow socket. The droid managed to kick out one of his legs and brought the staff down on his head only for Will to raise his Beskar armored gloves and block the staff. His Beskar guards blocked the staff and electrical energy before he flexed his wrist and the forearm blades extended out, shattering the electrical probe. Will finished off the fight by stabbing his saber into the Magna guard's torso before cleaving it in two.

With those droids dealt with, he took a deep breath to try and calm down. That fight brought up a bad memory. He then remembered about Ahsoka, so he rushed over to the sand hill and saw her fighting her droid before jumping high in the air and slicing it clean in two as she landed. "Whew. Being a Padawan is harder than I thought." She said to herself.

"You have no idea there, Ace." Will said as she looked up at him. "But you handled yourself pretty well."

"Thanks there, Mando." Ahsoka replied, climbing up the sand hill. When she reached the top, he held out his hand and helped her up. "Let's get this little guy back home."

"Amen to that." Will said as they walked over to the palace.

They managed to get there quickly and entered Jabba's palace but when they entered, they saw Anakin holding a saber to Jabba, ready to slice his head off and Jabba's bodyguards ready to blast him to pieces.

"Stop!" Will shouted as they all looked and saw him, Ahsoka, R2, BD-8 and the Huttling. Anakin deactivated his saber as Ahsoka walked over and handed him back to Jabba. Jabba and his son were beyond happy to be reunited and the scene was kind of touching…but then quickly turned sour after Jabba spoke a few words.

**_"_****_You are to be executed immediately."_** His translator droid told them.

"What?" Anakin, Ahsoka, and Will shouted as Jabba's goons raised their blasters. Will, Anakin, and Ahsoka activated their lightsabers and stood back to back to back.

"Does this always happen to you?" Ahsoka asked.

"Everywhere I go." He told her.

"I'm glad I'm Master Kenobi's padawan then because this is getting ridiculous." Will added, ready to defend himself when a communicator orb went off.

**_"_****_Your uncle Ziro is contacting us."_** The droid said before activating the communicator but instead of another Hutt it was Senator Amidala and Jedi Master Kota.

_"__Greetings, Honorable Jabba. I am Senator Amidala of the Galactic Congress and this is Master Rahm Kota of the Jedi order. We have discovered a plot against you by one of your own. Your uncle will admit he conspired with Count Dooku to kidnap your son and frame the Jedi for the crime."_ She told him as Ziro was brought into view.

Jabba was beyond pissed at the betrayal by his own family but Ziro played the innocent card, saying he was sorry and that it was all Dooku's fault. Suffice it to say the Hutt was not happy.

**_"_****_Ziro will be dealt with by the Hutt family most severely."_** The translator droid told them.

_"__Perhaps now you will allow the Republic to use your trade routes and hostilities can come to an end."_ Padme said as Jabba laughed before replying.

_"__**Jabba agrees. A treaty is in order."**_ They were told so the Jedi deactivated their sabers.

_"__You will not regret this, Jabba."_ Senator Amidala told him as Jabba spoke some more.

**_"_****_The clone armies may move through Jabba's territories. Jabba would be most appreciative if you bring Dooku to justice for his crimes against the Hutts."_** The droid told them.

"That is one thing you can guarantee we'll do." Will replied.

"Senator, it appears I owe you my thanks." Anakin said to her.

_"__No, Master Skywalker, it is I and the Republic who owes you our thanks."_ She replied before signing off. Will could have sworn he picked up some emotional…even flirtatious hints there.

"I'm glad Master Kenobi was able to get word to you, Master Kota. Thanks for your help." Will said to his old friend.

_"__And I'm glad to see you alive and in one-piece, young Padawan. And Dooku didn't think you and the others could handle this. I'm glad you proved him wrong. I'll see you soon."_ Kota said before bidding him goodbye.

Master Kenobi and Master Yoda soon arrived with a clone battalion to pick up Anakin, Ahsoka, and Will while Master Yoda finished negotiations. The young Huttling waved at them as they left. All in all, it was a good win for the Republic.

Line Break xxxxx

**The Clone Starfleet is under siege. Dozens of Republic warships have been destroyed in merciless surprise attacks that leave no survivors. Rumors spread of a terrible new Separatist weapon.**

**In the face of growing fear, the Jedi Council sends Master Plo Koon to hunt down the Menace before it strikes again.**

It had been a few weeks since the successful rescue mission of Jabba's son and the Republic war effort had improved immensely with the use of his hyperspace lanes. They were now able to move supplies and ships to engage the Separatists in the Outer Rim, but the going was still tough especially with the current losses on Ryloth and the death of Master Di and his clone troopers. The Separatists had the edge in the war right now.

Now, Will was aboard the _Negotiator_, the personal flagship of his Master Obi-wan Kenobi. The Venator-class Star Destroyer was moving through hyperspace at the moment so the master and padawan were using the time to train. Will's relationship with Obi-wan had gotten off great so far. Obi-wan was one of the most skilled Jedi in the order that it earned him a seat on the Jedi Council to replace Depa Bilaba while she was recovering and unable to perform her duties. Obi-wan was kind, wise, and experienced while Will was the young, uproarious Padawan…honestly to the Jedi Master it felt like training Anakin when he was younger, but Will was different than Anakin. There was an innate sense of curiosity in him as whenever they weren't training or required for the war effort, Will would spend his time learning military history and strategy on his own. He would converse with the clones and quickly developed a rapport with almost all the troopers he would be fighting alongside.

And he was also caught tinkering with almost all of the tanks, star fighters or armaments on the star destroyer. He even started to design rough blueprints for modifications to make them better. His endless energy and drive were starting to edge to the point of obsession but that was probably due to his Mandalorian genes. The most fearsome warriors in the galaxy and ones that even gave the Jedi some trouble years ago. From the moment Obi-wan saw Will fight on Christophosis, he knew he was unique. His fighting style and training was similar to all the Padawans he would see at the temple, but it was also different as he moved in ways Jedi usually didn't. During their first official training session, Obi-wan set him up against training bots and what he saw only further proved his point that he was unique.

Will would rush forward like Anakin would but instead of charging in with brute force, he would dash to the side or slide under to attack the legs and expose a weakness. It showed a great deal of familiarity with fight tactics. When he was surrounded, he would use the force to enhance his speed and agility like Obi-wan had seen Master Yoda do and was a clear indicator in his training in Form 4, Ataru. Will moved quickly, taking out key weak points or exploiting an environmental advantage…even picking up a discarded blaster to help in his fight. He had never seen a Jedi use a blaster as well as he did. He ran up walls, jumped off enemies, and his use of the force in combat was truly unique. Along with the familiarity of his Mandalorian weapons during a fight, safe to safe that there was no Jedi like Will.

Right now, the two were having another training session. Obi-wan wanted to improve Will's form three Soresu skills along with his adaptability. Will was at one end of the room while Obi-wan was at the other on a hover platform. The point of the exercise was to get across the room to Obi-wan while adapting to any surprises and sneak attacks…and he needed to do it with his eyes closed.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Master?" Will held up the rolled-up piece of cloth in his hand.

"Yes, my young Padawan. While this exercise is indeed difficult it will prepare you for any surprises we should encounter. I've found that a Jedi's newest trait to acquire in the field is adaptability." Obi-wan told him only for Will to huff.

"I think I demonstrated that pretty well on Christophosis." He reminded him.

"Then this should be very easy for you." Obi-wan replied. "Now whenever you're ready."

Will took a deep breath to calm himself down before putting the cloth around his eyes and tightening it. Obi-wan pressed a few buttons on a command podium and several platforms began to move around the room to create pathways and walls. Will took off running forward before flipping through the air and landing. He jumped to another platform before doing a wall run to get across a gap where several poles and blocks would extend out from the side and the ground. He listened for movement before ducking and spinning forward, speed vaulting over a block, grabbing a pole and using it to swing and flip forward. More poles extended out which kept him on his toes, so he quickly moved to avoid getting hit. A side step saved him from a pole to the face, but it was so close that it skimmed his ear. Another block rose up which he quickly side flipped over and then double jumped over a gap and landed on a large platform.

That's when his hearing and the force picked up something coming so he activated his lightsaber. Over a dozen Marksman-H training remotes descended from the ceiling and fired stun bolts. Will blocked and deflected the blaster bolts with his lightsaber, relying on his training and the force to guide and it was working…for the most part. He blocked and deflected blaster fire, thinking he had the edge when the training remotes began to change up their position and adjusted their firing speed. They encircled him, some shooting high before moving low and vice versa and quickly escalated their firing speed, so he needed to move quicker.

Obi-wan was on his observation platform, watching Will with scrutiny like he did in the early days of training Anakin. He rubbed his beard scruff which became a force of habit as he watched Will go through the horizontal shielding and circular orbits associated with the form 3 Soresu saber training. He clearly had a great deal of training, more so than typical Padawans and how he was able to keep up with the dozen training remotes showed that, but he still had much to learn as several remotes managed to land hits on his arms and legs. While they weren't deadly, they hurt like hell.

After one too many blasts that started to piss him off, he unleased a force push that destroyed four training remotes. Two remotes fired at his back, so he activated his gauntlets shield projector to deflect some blasts and cover his flank before throwing his saber and slicing them in two. The remaining six remotes circled around to fire only for him to freeze them with force stasis. The floating orbs seemed to glitch and get fuzzy as they were slowed down to a crawl before Will crossed his arms and concentrated. The ground and air around him rippled before he leapt up into the air.

"RAH!" He unleashed all that force energy into a rapidly expanding spherical force energy wave that erupted from his body. The Force Repulse wave shot out and destroyed the remaining training remotes along with crushing parts of the nearby platforms. He dropped to a knee to catch his breath before deactivating his saber.

"Interesting." Obi-wan commented as he saw Will take a moment to rest.

Will got back to his feet and felt he was close to the end so he eagerly force jumped forward only for a surprise platform to suddenly come down in his path…which resulted in him hitting it face first and then falling onto his back. He hit the ground and got the wind knocked out of him. "Oh, crap." Will did his best to try and catch his breath. Obi-wan pressed a button on his podium control panel and it lowered down to the ground.

"Ugh…that hurt…" Will managed to get off his back and sit up, before taking the blindfold off and rubbing his forehead in pain. "That didn't go so well, did it?"

"No, it didn't but it was quite entertaining." Obi-wan replied with a smirk. "So, what is the lesson to take from this?"

"That platforms are the bane of the Jedi's existence?" Will asked, rubbing his forehead.

"No, it's to be mindful of your surroundings. You were eager to get to the next platform, yet you didn't account for what could get in your path. If you had been patient, then you would have known that platform would come down and wouldn't have that red mark on your forehead." Obi-wan informed him before helping him back to his feet. "Remember that patience can be a Jedi's greatest tool."

"Yes, Master." Will rubbed his forehead, still feeling the stinging pain that would probably stick around for a while. "A lesson well learned with a painful reminder."

"As all Jedi lessons often are." Obi-wan quipped. "But you must also be mindful of your state of mind and your emotions. I sensed you were getting frustrated and angry during the exercise."

"More annoyed. Those training remotes hurt even if they're set to stun." Will joked.

"Joke all you want but take this as another lesson. Anger and aggression may be powerful tools but will only end up hurting you as it led to some unintended consequences." Obi-wan reminded him.

"You mean the jumping into the platform face first?" Will asked.

"I mean the situation that led you to act so eagerly. Your use of the force is very impressive for a Padawan your age, but it also shows me that you still have a long way to go in your training." Obi-wan told him. "While I admire your ingenuity in using the force to aid you in battle, you're still young and the amount of concentration and the toll it takes on you is something that must be keep in mind. What happened on Christophosis and with this exercise are prime examples. Gassing yourself out too quickly will leave you vulnerable to attack."

"Which is why I have these?" Will showed him his Mandalorian gauntlets.

"If you rely on those too much then they will eventually become your undoing." Obi-wan told him in his sage-like wisdom. "But should you stick to your training my Padawan then we'll keep that from happening."

"Yes, Master Kenobi." Will bowed his head when Cody entered the room.

"General, you're needed in the communication room." Cody informed him.

"Thank you, Cody." Obi-wan replied as he and his Padawan made their way over there.

"Do you think it's another attack by the Separatist Superweapon?" Will asked and Obi-wan nodded.

"I have a feeling it is. We've been losing more and more ships to these surprise attacks that is making this war much harder." Obi-wan replied as they entered the room and were speaking to Master Yoda, Windu, and Chancellor Palpatine. "Gentlemen."

_"__Master Kenobi. Reports from our scouts in the outer rim have not found the superweapon yet."_ Windu said, getting him up to speed. _"This mystery weapon has struck in a dozen systems and disappeared without a trace."_

_"__We cannot afford to lose any more ships, my friends_." Palpatine said when Anakin and Ahsoka appeared on holovid. "_Ah, Master Skywalker. Have you had any success in finding General Grievous secret weapon?"_

Anakin pressed a few buttons on his terminal back on his ship to bring up a star cluster. _"Master Plo was here in the Abregado system when we lost contact. He said he found the weapon, but we've had no further contact. The absence of distress beacons indicates that his fleet was…that his fleet was destroyed, like the others. We're about to prepare a rescue mission."_

_"__Hasn't Clone intelligence reported this weapon never leaves any survivors?" _Palpatine reminded him.

"The Separatists are being unusually tidy. They don't want any witnesses." Obi-wan said.

"Which makes tracking this thing down even harder." Will added.

_"__Tragic are these losses but prevent more we must."_ Yoda said.

_"__All our battlegroups will be reassigned to guard our supply convoys, including yours, Skywalker."_ Windu told him. "_I'm afraid we can't risk anymore ships with a rescue mission."_

_"__Wait! Just because there haven't been any survivors before doesn't mean there won't be any this time."_ Ahsoka pleaded with them which drew some looks from Yoda and Windu.

_"__Boldly spoken for one so young."_ Palpatine commented.

"She is learning from Anakin." Obi-wan added.

_"__Excuse my Padawan. We will deploy as instructed, Master."_ Anakin said as the conversation ended.

"Leave it to Ace to speak her mind." Will commented.

"It appears she and Anakin make quite a pair." Obi-wan replied as he gave orders to the Admiral to move the ships to the new defensive positions.

"Still, it's a little heartless of the Chancellor to suggest calling off a rescue team so easily like that." Will said to his Master.

"He does have a point. Our reports tell us there have never been any survivors and we'd risk losing more ships on rescue missions." Obi-wan told him.

"Maybe but there doesn't mean there isn't a chance. Most of the time when this ship strikes, we're told hours later but Master Skywalker knows where Master Plo Koon is and it hasn't been that long. He might be able to make it in time." Will pointed out.

"That's probably what Anakin is planning." Obi-wan said which gave him a confused look from his Padawan. "Knowing Anakin, he's probably figuring out a rescue mission himself."

"I hope he finds Master Plo and we find out what this weapon is." Will replied.

"I'm surprised, my young Padawan. After all our talks I figured you would already have a guess." Obi-wan commented.

"Several in fact but maybe this latest attack could give me something new." Will bid his master a goodbye to go see BD-8 who was in the flight bay. He walked in and passed some clone pilots and engineers who greeted him like a normal person and not a general. Passing Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry gunships, BTL Y-wing bombers, and V-19 Torrent interceptors until he got to his own personal starfighter that he was assigned. "Hey, BD-8 how are the upgrades going?"

**[Positive beeping]** BD-8 replied, from his position underneath the front point of the ship with sparks accompanying the beeps.

"Nice. Hopefully with my upgrades this thing is going to be able to do a lot more in space." Will replied, sitting down on a nearby tool crate to grab an arc wielder and do some work on the ship. The ship he and BD-8 were working on was a blue colored black striped Delta-7B A_ethersprite_-class light interceptor ship or as its been commonly known as the Jedi Starfighter. These interceptor ships were given to Jedi to fly for space battles. These were fast with twin Ion engines, four laser cannons and a built-in shield projector along with a slot for an Astromech. At the moment, these ships among the fastest there were at sub-light speeds against anything in its class and its controls made it the best in maneuverability. But there were trade offs as the shields weren't perfect and it lacked heavy weaponry which was something Will was hoping to fix. When he got the ship, he gutted all the extraneous parts he didn't need to save up for space and power. This allowed him to use the extra power for his own addition which was an individual proton torpedo launcher attached to the underbelly of the elongated point in the front. It was just one proton torpedo so it wasn't a lot, but it added to his firepower and he modified the astromech slot so BD-8 could fit. "Something tells me we're going to need it soon."

BD-8 looked at him with its head tilted and let out some confused beeps. "The Separatist superweapon struck again in the Abregado system. That's another three ships it took down along with Master Plo Koon. I just hope he's alive and Master Skywalker finds him. Add that one to the galactic map. Maybe we'll be able to chart out a possible course or staging area?" Will suggesting as BD-8 gave a few beeps before helping him with the last-minute upgrades.

One hyperdrive travel later and the fleet was with the supply convoys in a defensive position. It wasn't until about two hours later that Obi-wan came down to the flight bay to see him which gave him more than enough time to finish the upgrades. The ship was ready whenever it was needed. "Master, was Master Skywalker able to find Master Plo?"

"Possibly. He managed to find remains of Master Plo's fleet and is looking for survivors. He took the Twilight with him so his fleet is where it should be." Obi-wan replied.

"Huh, so he technically followed orders while also doing what we all wish we could do." Will said. "His reputation does do him justice."

"And what reputation would that be?" Obi-wan asked.

"That he's trouble and does things his own unique way." Will replied.

"That would be the politest way to put it." Obi-wan commented. "So, what have you been doing?"

"Just finished the modifications to the interceptor so she's ready and dangerous for her first mission. And I think I might have a good idea about the Separatist Superweapon. BD-8." Will said as BD-8 got on top of the ship and projected out a galactic map with various planets and systems highlighted that showed a clear path. "I've gone over all the sites of wreckage from the superweapon attacks and they show a clear path cutting across the expansion region to the Inner rim heading west. There latest attack puts them by the Abregado system edging towards the core system. From there, they could push inward and make a break for Coruscant but there's too many republic frigates and command ships, so we'd get an alert. Or they could keep taking down more Republic ships and make it for the Outer Rim."

"This is disconcerting. We need to stop this thing soon or else it will be too late. What do you think it is?" Obi-wan asked, curious about his Padawans thoughts on the matter.

"Well, after hearing everything this weapon has done and where it attacks, its powerful. Powerful enough to take down cruisers with ease but I'm curious if its by surprise or they can't fire back. I've gone over protocol with Cody and the first thing the ship's command is to do is radio in their position which is true but after that we hear nothing which could mean a serious jamming array to keep communications from working or something disrupts their system so they can escape or fight back. Possibly a new battle cruiser with advance ion torpedoes to render a Star Destroyers system's vulnerable?" He suggested.

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Obi-wan asked.

"It's what I would do." Will replied, not knowing he was in the right ballpark.

Eventually Anakin and Ahsoka returned with Master Plo Koon and four clone troopers who managed to get into the same escape pod. They were lucky and managed to get away before they were killed as well by the Separatist superweapon which turned out to be a large ion cannon. It was able to produce an ion field that disabled the systems of anything it touched which is how all those ships were taken out so easily. Now that they knew what they were up against, it was time to take it down.

Will walked out of his quarters with BD-8 on his back because he wanted to ask Master Kenobi for permission to join the strike force going to attack the battleship. Obi-wan was currently speaking with his admiral when he saw his Padawan enter.

"Master Kenobi sorry if I'm interrupting but I was hoping I could get a moment of your time." Will said.

"Of course, what is it?" Obi-wan asked.

"I was wondering if you would allow me to join Master Skywalker's mission to attack the Separatist Battleship as a fighter escort?" Will asked as Obi-wan gave him a look.

"May I ask why?" Obi-wan asked. "You are aware that Anakin already has his Shadow Squadron assigned to the mission."

"Yes, Master but I'm willing to fly alongside them as fighter escort. With the bulk of our ships engaged elsewhere and after all the damage that ship's ion cannon can do against the Star Destroyers, they'll need help. I'm an excellent pilot and…I'm ready to do my part to help." Will told him.

"I'm admire your eagerness, but you are aware how dangerous this is?" Obi-wan asked.

"I am master. But it wouldn't be any different if General Grievous and the Malevolence attacked us now. In this case, we're the ones doing the attacking. BD-8, _Rathta_r and I can handle it." Will assured him.

_"__Rathtar_?" Obi-wan was confused.

"It's what I named my ship, sir. She's crazy fast, agile, and deadly like a Rathtar." Will replied with a smile on his face.

"I'm afraid I've never seen a Rathtar." Obi-wan commented.

"From what I've seen at the Jedi Archives, that's probably a good thing." Will joked. "I know we haven't known each other long master but I can handle this. I'm the best flyer there is."

"I'm sure Anakin would disagree with you but you're right in that they could use extra help. Very well, you can go but like on Christophosis don't take any unnecessary risks." Obi-wan told him.

"Yes, Master." Will bowed before heading to the flight bay.

"You sure that's a good idea, sir?" Cody asked.

"Will has managed to surprise me thus far. I have a feeling this will be a recurring theme with him." Obi-wan replied.

Line Break xxxxx

**A deadly weapon unleashed. The Separatist battleships Malevolence advanced unopposed through Republic space, tearing apart any ship that stands in its path. After a daring recuse and narrow escape Anakin Skywalker prepares a counterattack on the enemy ship and its diabolical droid commander, General Grievous. **

8 Star Destroyers were traveling through space and heading towards Rendellion space to provide protection and intercept the Malevolence which had just attacked a medical transport in that region. There was a medical station near that area, and it was Grievous's next target. Their window of attack had just shortened and now they needed to stop Grievous before he could attack. The larger destroyers would need to take the long way around, but Anakin had a shortcut in mind for Shadow Squadron.

The 12 Y-wings piloted by Shadow Squadron flew out of one of the Star Destroyers and moved into formation. The fighters grouped up together for the lightspeed jump with Shadow 1 in the lead position piloted by Anakin and R2 with Ahsoka in the gunner seat.

"All right, Shadow Squadron. Tighten formation and call in." Anakin said, prepping the ship for lightspeed.

"Shadow 2, standing by."

"Shadow 3, standing by."

"Shadow 4, standing by."

**[Cautious beeping]** R2 glanced over at Ahsoka from the astromech slot.

"I know, Artooie. This is going to be a tough one." She said.

"Cut the chatter, Ahsoka." Her master told her.

"Shadow 11, standing by."

"Shadow 12, standing by."

The last Y-wing checked in as a light blue and white Jedi Starfighter flew by with a hyperspace ring attached to the ship. "Fighter Escort ready." Master Plo Koon announced.

"Fighter Escort 2 ready." They all heard as a blue colored black striped Jedi Starfighter and hyperspace ring flew into position next to Master Plo Koon.

"Who is that? Pilot, identify yourself." Anakin said over the communication system.

"Padawan Will Vizsla reporting for duty Master Skywalker." Will replied, hitting a few buttons and getting the ship ready for lightspeed. BD-8 gave a response as well from his spot in the modified astromech slot.

"Padawan, what are you doing in that ship?" Anakin asked.

"Providing starfighter escort. Master Kenobi knows I'm here and considering you're going up against a massive battleship, I wanted to help." Will told him.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Plo Koon asked.

"Don't worry about me, Master Plo Koon. I know how to fly. We're ready for this." Will assured him.

"Well, then happy to have you here with us." Anakin replied.

"No fair, how come he gets his own ship and I'm stuck in the gunner chair?" Ahsoka asked.

"Because I'm a great pilot. The best there was at the academy in years while you had a speeder accident that took out an entire corridor of the temple." Will joked which caused the other pilots to laugh over the comm system.

"I'm telling you for the hundredth time, it was something wrong with the speeder." Ahsoka said in annoyance.

"Sure, Ace. Just remember to watch your sights for me and Master Plo." Will joked.

"All right, enough of the jokes. Let's get ready." Anakin told them.

_"__This is Admiral Yularen. You are clear for hyperspace jump. Good hunting, sir."_ Admiral Yularen reported over the comms.

"Thanks, Admiral. All right boys, let's go." Anakin said, inputting the hyperspace coordinates.

"Broadside, we get through this then the drinks are on me." Matchstick told him.

"I can already taste it." He replied as they all activated their hyperdrive and took off while the capital ships took the long route.

They soon exited hyperspace and arrived at the edge of a Nebula that they proceeded to fly through. "Ok, if we can just manage to navigate through my shortcut, we'll be all right." Anakin said.

"A nebula can be very unpredictable. I advise caution." Plo Koon said.

"Don't worry about us, Master Jedi. We can hold our own. Right, Shadow Squadron?" Matchstick asked.

"Copy that, Shadow 2." Broadside replied.

"Does anyone care what the Padawan thinks?" Ahsoka asked.

"Of course, we care, Snips, but we're still going through that nebula." Anakin told her.

R2 beeped and said he cared what she thought. "Thanks, Artooie."

"Confidence or not we best be careful. Have your shield projectors covering all your bases and watch your eyes in there. That goes double for you, BD-8." Will said as BD-8 nodded.

"Roger that, sir." Shadow Squadron replied.

"You seem to have adapted to a leadership role quite well, young Padawan." Plo Koon commented.

"What can I say? I like to think of it as one of my charms." Will replied, keeping a close eye on the nebula as they flew through it. It was cloudy, thick and they couldn't see much of anything except for maybe a dozen meters in front of them.

"This soup is thick. Can you see anything?" Matchstick asked.

"Just keep your eyes on my thruster, Shadow 2." Anakin told him as Ahsoka was having trouble with the scanner.

"They'll have to. The scanners are useless." Ahsoka said.

"This is old fashioned flying. You have to feel your way through to stay on course." He told her.

"Skywalker is right, Ahsoka. Clear your mind, young one, and you will see the path." Plo Koon added.

"Right now, I can't see anything at all." Ahsoka replied as Anakin smirked.

"I always know where I'm going." Broadside said. "I'm gonna blow up that battleship."

"A clear path if ever there was one." Plo Koon commented.

"Master Skywalker, how do you know this shortcut?" Will asked, flying next to Master Plo Koon at a steady pace and keeping watch for anything strange.

"It's an old smuggler's route. The pilot's used to talk about it on Tatooine. They call it the Balmorra run." Anakin said and Plo Koon immediately went wide-eyed.

"Balmorra run?!" He immediately knew they were in danger.

"I think I'm picking up a contact." Ahsoka said, seeing something on the scanner.

"Skywalker listen to me. We need to turn around." Plo Koon told him.

"We can't. Not if we're gonna catch Grievous." Anakin replied.

"I've got another target. This one is much bigger." Ahsoka told him.

"Skywalker, Balmorra's the nesting ground of the giant Neebray Mantis!" Plo Koon shouted.

BD-8 began to frantically beep, picking up more and more signatures and Will could sense something was coming. "We've got company!" Will shouted as the mantis began to come into view.

"Take evasive action!" Skywalker shouted and all the pilots quickly maneuvered so they wouldn't crash. They soon flew through the eye of the nebula and encountered dozens of more mantis which became obstacles to avoid. Matchstick ended up hitting the side of one of them and dinged his ship's engine.

"BD-8, take over controls and make sure we don't crash." Will said as BD-8 nodded and quickly maneuvered the ship out of harms way. Will relaxed in his seat and took a deep breath, calling on the force for help before closing his eyes and extending his left arm out like he was reaching for something.

"These things are going to make a meal of us!" Ahsoka shouted, panicking a little bit when all of a sudden, the mantis stopped flying and seemed to freeze. "Did I say something?"

"What's wrong with them?" Broadside asked, seeing the creatures had calmed down a bit.

"It's like they're frozen." Matchstick said as Anakin and Plo Koon sensed the force being used. Plo Koon looked out and saw Will in his cockpit using the force to calm down the creatures.

"I think the young Padawan is trying to calm them down." Plo Koon said, seeing the young one reach out to the creatures.

**_"_****_I'm sorry for intruding into your home. We mean you no harm. We don't mean to interrupt your nesting grounds. We're just passing through on the way to help our friends. I promise you we just need to get our way through. Please allow us to pass."_** Will told them, using the force to form a bond with the animals.

The mantis let out a happy roar before they all seemed to move out of the way and clear a path. "I see a path. All wings, line up behind me." Anakin said as he led the path out of there while everyone else followed behind. BD-8 piloted the ship and followed behind Master Plo since Will was busy using the force to bond with the animals. Whatever he was doing seemed to work and they didn't have any more problems with the Neebray mantis and managed to clear the nebula into space. They kept moving and were only a few parsecs from the medical station.

Once Will felt they were clear he ended the force bond and took a few deep breaths. "Whew, looks like we made it through. Let's just hope your shortcut was worth it." Ahsoka said.

"We're not that far behind Grievous now." Anakin eagerly announced.

"Impressive work, young Padawan." Plo Koon said to Will.

"Thanks, Master Plo. I've always had a thing with animals. Guess I'm just lucky and it wasn't that hard. They were just a little annoyed we were there but once I told them we just needed to get through to help some friends they were more than happy to help." Will told him. "Although one of them did say you looked tasty their Ace."

"Ha-ha, very funny." Ahsoka shot back.

"Lock it up there you two. We've got something incoming." Anakin said as his scanner picked up an incoming signature.

Soon enough, a massive Subjugator-class heavy cruiser appeared from hyperspace about 3 parsecs away from the station. It was the _Malevolence_. "Whoa. Ok…this might be a tad bit difficult." Will said as BD-8 let out a nervous beep. That's when he noticed it was heading straight for the medical station and didn't seem to notice them yet. "It's heading for the medical station."

"There are still transport ships there. They haven't evacuated yet." Ahsoka said.

"I'll try and get his attention. Get ready for your bombing run!" Will shouted, disengaging the hyperdrive ring and igniting the thrusters.

"Padawan, wait!" Plo Koon's warning fell on deaf ears as Will hit the afterburner and his starfighter zoomed through space at breakneck speeds right towards the Malevolence.

"Padawan, what do you think you're doing?" Anakin shouted, as he got the ship ready for its bombing run.

"There are still ships at the station and if that ion cannon fires then they're sitting ducks!" Will shouted, priming the weapon system.

"Your fighter won't do any damage to a ship that size." Plo Koon told him.

"I know it won't, but it will get his attention. Just keep the bombers safe and get ready for your bombing run. Come at grid 2-7 while I'll keep them occupied." Will told them. "All right, BD-8. Let's see what _Rathtar_ can do."

**[Positive beeping]** BD-8 replied, ready for anything.

Grievous was on the bridge of the Malevolence, staring at the waiting medical station and transports with a delightful evil glee. His yellow and black organic eyes portrayed his inner glee against his stoic metal face.

**_"_****_Sir, we have a squadron of fighters approaching from behind us."_** A droid told him.

**_"_****_Skywalker."_** Grievous was happily awaiting a worthy opponent and the opportunity to crush him. **_"Launch fighters and bring the ship around!"_**

**_"_****_There are several medical transports leaving the station."_** Another droid reported as said transports were trying to leave as quickly as possible.

**_"_****_Target the transports first! I want every single ship destroyed!"_** Grievous shouted.

**_"_****_Roger-roger."_** A droid replied. Said droid was the operator of the Ion Cannon and it began to power up the systems.

**_"_****_Sir, our scanners have picked up another ship."_** The droid informed him.

**_"_****_Where?!"_** Grievous shouted as the sound of a laser barrage and slight rumbling shook the room.

Said ship was Will's Jedi starfighter which managed to close the distance to the Malevolence in record time due to the afterburner. Because his ship appeared so quickly, he managed to blast a few turbo laser gun placements before the rest opened fire which resulted in some fancy flying and blasting a few more.

**[Frantic beeping]** BD-8's scans picked up energy from the Ion cannon. It was about to fire.

"Yeah, I got it." Will quickly maneuvered into a barrel roll to avoid some laser fire before maneuvering his ship up the side of the cruiser, blasting the ship but the shields means it did nothing but annoy it. "Maybe a proton torpedo to the bridge will get their attention. Fire!"

The proton torpedo launcher underneath the front of the ship powered up before firing. It managed to hit the bridge, but the deflector shield made sure it did nothing. It did rumble the entire bridge and caused the droid operator to slip out of the chair and prevent the ion cannon from firing. Will followed up the torpedo with a barrage of laser fire which just further pissed off Grievous.

Said robotic general looked out the window and saw the Jedi starfighter fly by and continued blasting apart their turret placement. "**_Blast that fighter out of the air!"_**

**_"_****_We're trying sir but it's moving too fast."_** A droid replied only for it to get its head bashed in by Grievous.

**_"_****_Turn us around and launch all fighters! I want that Jedi dealt with_****!"** He shouted. Grievous was not happy he was being shown up by a Jedi of all people. Will's distraction was just enough as the medical transports managed get enough space to clear the station and lightspeed out of the area. "**_ARGGHH…KILL THAT JEDI!"_**

All the remaining turbo lasers on the ship began to target him but through skill, luck, and the lousy accuracy of droids he managed to not get hit. "GEEZ!" Will quickly swerved to the side to avoid some laser fire when BD-8 began to beep frantically. "I know, I know! I see them!"

He hit the accelerator lever and flew away from the ship with several squadrons of Vulture droid starfighters and droid tri-fighters following him. "BD-8, divert backup power to rear deflector shields but get ready to redistribute it soon!" He honed into his training and kept moving quickly to avoid laser fire. "Master Skywalker, I managed to distract Grievous and those shuttles are gone but we're about to have a lot of company."

"We see them. All right, Shadow Squadron! Keep it tight!" Anakin told them as they began unloading at the incoming droids. They maneuvered a bit and blasted several dozen droid fighters but there were still more. Will did a quick swerve maneuver and blasted a few more droids when BD-8 alerted him of the Ion cannon and he saw it activate.

"Incoming!" Will shouted.

"Make towards the edge of the ray, now!" Anakin shouted and all the fighters began flying up as quickly as possible. "Give it everything you've got!"

Will hit the accelerator and noticed Shadow 2's Y-wing's left engine began to smoke, and the entire ship was shaking. "Shadow 2, your speed is dropping. What's wrong?" Ahsoka asked.

"Nothing, sir. Just trying to keep it together." Matchstick did his best to keep the ship level, but the frantic beeping and rumbling was not a good sign.

"Shadow 2, decelerate now!" Will told him.

"I can make it sir!" Matchstick replied.

"That's an order, trooper! You're left engine stabilizer could go and you've got fighters on you're six! Decelerate and save yourself and others! We'll come back for you!" Will shouted. "Do it now!"

"Yes, sir." Matchstick did as he was told and decelerated while the others kept moving and managed to clear the ion cannon field but not all were lucky and got caught along with several droid fighters.

"Shadow Squadron, report in." Anakin called out.

"Shadow's 6, 7, 10, and 2 were caught in the ray." Ahsoka told him.

"All their fighters are down. Let's go." Will said as they all accelerated towards the ship, but the laser barrage was heavy.

"Stay on course!" Plo Koon shouted as he and Will blasted a few turbo lasers.

"This flak is heavy!" Broadside shouted, doing his best to maneuver.

"All deflector shields, double front." Anakin and the pilots diverted power to the forward shields.

"Master, we need a new plan!" Ahsoka told him, seeing the attack plan wasn't going to work with this kind of fire power.

"We can make it Ahsoka." Anakin kept on course, flying and avoiding any fire. "Watch those towers boys!"

"Maneuver at grid 7-5!" Will shouted, leading several Shadow Squadron fighters and blasting some more turbo lasers to ease up on defensive fire but there were still a lot. Shadow 8 got hit and crashed into the Malevolence. "Master Skywalker, Ahsoka is right! This flak is too heavy. We won't make it!"

"You did. We keep going!" Anakin told him.

"I caught them by surprise, but the rest of the squad won't make it!" Will shouted, maneuvering through space.

"He's right, master. You can make it to the bridge, but the others can't!" Ahsoka added. "Master!"

"If we can do enough damage the weapon may overload when Grievous tries to fire!" Plo Koon suggested.

Anakin contemplated the idea and made his decision. "Shadow Squadron, new target. We're taking out the starboard ion cannon." The remaining Shadow Squadron bombers quickly diverted course towards the cannon and managed to avoid some flak fire. They sped up as much as possible while the Ion Cannon was nearly finished with charging.

"Let's turn this thing into scrap." Will smirked as BD-8 nodded.

"Torpedoes away!" Anakin shouted and the bombers fired their proton torpedoes at cannon, blasting the connecting ring and pillar with enough damage and power that it shook the ship a bit. Will fired his own proton torpedo and the group flew clear. The ion cannon charged up and fired but the damage caused the ion energy to bounce back into the ship, causing major internal damage and disabled both cannons.

"Yes!" Will shouted as BD-8 and R2 happily squealed.

"Good work, Shadow Squadron." Plo Koon told them.

"Great job, Ahsoka. You too, Will." Anakin said to both.

The damage to the Malevolence was devastating with both ion cannons destroyed and the hyperdrive non-operational. And if that wasn't bad enough for Grievous, Obi-wan arrived just in time along with the rest of the star destroyers.

"Anakin, do you copy?" Obi-wan called out over the comms.

"I'm here."

"Congratulations. It appears your mission was a success." Obi-wan looked at the crippled Separatist superweapon and was glad it worked out.

"Partially but Grievous is still alive. The battle was pretty rough on my men. We're heading to the medical station." Anakin told him as Shadow Squadron adjusted their flight course.

"We'll take it from here. But don't worry, we'll call when we need you." Obi-wan assured him.

"I'll be waiting, Obi-wan." Anakin replied.

"Master Kenobi, we've got some downed bombers that got caught in the ion field. We're gonna need a retrieval team." Will told him, flying over to downed bombers and from what he could see the pilots and gunners were ok.

"We're sending several units your way. I'm glad you're all right. It seems like having you tag along was the right decision." Obi-wan said.

"I'm just lucky that way." Will replied, waiting around as recovery ships were sent over and they were brought aboard the _Negotiator_ where those that needed medical attention could be looked at and the ships could be repaired. He got out of his starfighter and looked it over, noticing the blast marks and scorches he'd have to clean up. "Well, buddy. Looks like we've got some cleaning to do."

BD-8 nodded before getting out of the droid slot and climbing onto his back. "Commander." Matchstick and Tag walked up to Will. "Thank you for your assistance today. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have made it."

"Then it's a good thing I was there. Taking down Grievous and winning this war is the primary goal but making sure you and your brothers make it through to the end is another." Will said, holding his hand out for them to shake and they did. "You guys are some pretty impressive flyers. I've been thinking of building up my own personal squad and I could use some crackpot pilots. Master Skywalker better be careful before I snatch you guys."

"Well, we owe you for today and if we could clear it with General Skywalker then you have your first two recruits." Tag told him.

"Good to hear. Now, get some rest and have those bombers looked after. We'll be needing them again." Will replied.

"Yes, sir." They saluted him before marching off to do so.

BD-8 looked at Will and told him that today went pretty well considering how it started. "Yeah, you're right buddy. Hopefully it gets better and that robot Grievous ends up in the scrap pile." Will replied, with the tone and coarseness in his voice that showed a deep disdain for the Separatist leader that had roots in what happened to his old Master.

Line Break xxxxx

With the Ion Cannons on the Malevolence disabled and their hyperdrive damaged, Grievous had no other options but to fly through space in an effort to try and get away or at least by time for repairs. That plan was flawed as three Republic cruisers were following him and laying down all the fire their cannons could produce, doing extra damage to the ship. Normally it wouldn't take that long with regular Separatist cruisers, but the Malevolence was so massive it could keep taking their fire with enough power to keep moving. But because of its size it couldn't outrace the other ships, so it was just a matter of timing before Grievous was out of options. At least, that's how the Jedi saw it.

Will was with his Master and Plo Koon on the bridge of the_ Negotiator_ as the three republic cruisers pursued Grievous. They hoped to get some backup with Master Luminara and her fleet but until then they had to make do. Ahsoka was at one of the terminals when their scans picked something up.

"Master, I'm picking up a signal near the enemy vessel. Something just came out of hyperspace." She told him.

"Enemy reinforcements?" Anakin asked.

"No, it looks like a Naboo ship." She said which caught them all by surprise.

"Gunners hold your fire. What in blazes are they doing here?" Obi-wan asked.

"Ahsoka, contact that ship." Anakin ordered and she did her best.

"Naboo cruiser, identify yourself." Ahsoka ordered as their comm and holovid connection came through and it was Senator Amidala.

"Padme, what are you doing out here?!" Anakin was not expecting to see her here and now she was in grave danger.

_"__I was sent here on a diplomatic mission. The Senate was told the banking clan wanted to negotiate a treaty."_ She told him.

"Get out of there as fast as you can." Anakin just hoped it was soon enough but that wasn't the case as her ship got caught in a tractor beam. "Padme what's happening?"

_"__I'm being pulled inside the droid cruiser by a tractor beam. I will not be made a Separatist bargaining chip. Continue your attack! You must destroy this monstrous ship!"_ Padme pleaded with them.

Anakin tightened his fist in anger and frustration before making his decision. "Admiral, order all our ships to stop firing." They couldn't risk destroying the Malevolence with her on it. Anakin then made his way off the bridge.

"Where are you going?" Obi-wan asked.

"Someone has to save her skin." Anakin replied.

"I had a feeling you would say that." Obi-wan said, following him.

"There he goes again. Craving adventure and excitement." Plo Koon commented.

"You get used to it." Ahsoka replied.

"Well, this will be a fun story to tell." Will said as he followed his master with BD-8 following him. He made a quick pit stop to pick up some things before he followed Master Kenobi and Skywalker to the _Twilight._

Anakin prepped the ship for takeoff with R2 standing by as Obi-wan, his Padawan, and BD-8 walked in. "I'm assuming you've already formulated a brilliant plan to rescue the senator?"

"As a matter of fact, I have." Anakin replied.

"Well, do we have a plan B? Every operation has a backup, Anakin." Obi-wan told him.

"I don't have a backup…yet, but I do have a plan for getting on that ship."

"Really?"

"The enemy's sensors are obviously damaged, so we'll sneak behind them and dock at the emergency airlock."

"That's your plan? Just fly there, land, hope they don't spot us and walk in the door?" Obi-wan asked for clarification.

"Basically."

"Oh. Brilliant. Well, let's go kick in the door." Obi-wan replied as Anakin piloted the _Twilight_ out of the starfighter bay and over to the Malevolence.

"I don't suppose we can think up of a plan C just in case plan B goes horribly wrong?" Will asked.

"How are you so sure it will go wrong?" Obi-wan asked.

"I may not have worked along side the both of you for a long time, but it seems to always go wrong." Will commented. "Well, if that's plan B and we have no plan C, then it's a good thing I brought plan D."

Anakin looked back and saw Will patting a large backpack. "What's plan D?"

"I brought along a large pack filled with thermal detonators and explosives. Enough to cause a big boom." Will replied.

"That's plan D? Where did you come up with that brilliant plan?" Obi-wan asked.

"Easy, Demo got the explosives. And if we rescue the Senator, we can place these around the place and cause some more damage." Will replied with a smirk.

"Are you sure you should be bringing him along for this?" Anakin asked Obi-wan.

"My Padawan has proven himself skilled enough to accompany us and he will not be leaving my side while we're there." Obi-wan replied.

"Aw, thanks Master Kenobi. I knew I was winning you over. I guess you can say I'm your favorite student." He commented.

"Well, considering the other one was Anakin, I can say with confidence that you two are currently neck and neck." Obi-wan quipped.

"Hey!" Anakin was a little offended at that which made the other two and both droids laugh.

The Twilight made its way through space and over to the massive cruiser and so far, nothing bad had happened. "If they spot us, we'll be pulverized." Obi-wan said.

"That does a lot to bolster the confidence of this mission." Will commented.

"Relax. They're too busy repairing the ship. They don't have time to notice us." Anakin replied.

"Subtly has never been one of your strong suits, Anakin."

"Everything I know I learned from you, Master."

"Oh, if only that were true."

"I wonder if this is a look at my future?" Will asked aloud and BD-8 shrugged its head.

Anakin piloted them to the side of the cruiser and docked at the emergency airlock where coincidentally two battle droids were walking by.

"**_Whoa, what was that?"_**

**_"_****_What was that?" _**

**_"_****_That noise? It sounds like a ship docking at the emergency airlock."_**

**_"_****_Your circuits are loose. No one's crazy to do that_**." The droid replied as the airlock opened up to reveal Anakin, Obi-wan, Will, and R2.

**_"_****_Ah, it's them! I knew it!"_**

**_"_****_Oh no." _**

The droid were quickly cut into pieces with no muss or fuss. "You stay here, R2." Anakin told him.

"BD-8, sneak through the ship and find a terminal to plug into. Get everything you can. Communication logs, blueprints, and readouts on those ion cannons but be careful." Will said and BD-8 nodded before scurrying down his back and crawling through a small hole in a wall.

"Are you sure your droid can handle that?" Obi-wan asked.

"Don't worry, Master. Like I told Master Skywalker, BD-8 was able to sneak past the Jedi back on Coruscant, he can handle sneaking around here. Besides, any information we can get from this place the better. And if we can figure out a way to reproduce that ion cannon for our ships then it'll be a big help in our future space battles."

"I'm beginning to like your Padawan more and more every day. He doesn't think like most Padawans." Anakin commented.

"That's because I think like a Mandalorian first." Will replied with a smirk as they made their way into the cruiser. Luck was on their side as the cruiser was so massive that the exteriors of the ship were less manned then the interior where the vital systems were located. And with all the damage, those droids were probably ordered to help with repairs. Along the way, they got a communication from Senator Amidala who managed to hotwire a Separatist control panel. They would meet in the large open area in the middle of the ship.

It took some time to get there but they managed to find the large open area which was a rail system that transported items from one end of the ship to the other. "Well, that explains how things get transported on a ship this big." Will commented.

"I don't see here, Anakin." Obi-wan said.

"She's here, Master. I sense it." Anakin replied.

Will took out a small pair of electrobinoculars to try and find the senator in the massive railway system. It's something you'd expect to find in a city but it's in a space cruiser. "Will, do you see anything?" Obi-wan asked.

"Not yet. Just trams and containers of whatever they are." Will replied. "Hang on, I think I see something. Glint of a gold-plated droid, I think."

"Let me see." Anakin was handed the binoculars so he could get a better look. He looked around various walkways and passages across the railway system and managed to see C-3P0 and Senator Amidala rushing down a narrow walkway while a contingent of battle droids blasted at them. Padme fired back with her own Naboo blaster as she and her droid made their escape. "There!"

Anakin handed back the binoculars and all three of them activated their lightsabers before jumping down to a pathway and rushing across. They then jumped onto a passing tram car. Two battle droids blasted at them, but the shots were deflected back with ease. Will looked and saw the Senator on a tram about 60 feet down.

"Padme!" Anakin quickly force jumped down 60 feet and landed on the adjacent tram to her. He would look after her while Obi-wan and Will went after 3P0. Obi-wan used the force to levitate the droid over to them…only for a speeding tram to send him in the opposite direction and down a corridor.

"Well that makes things a little harder." Will commented.

"Perhaps you're right about needing a plan C." Obi-wan said before activating his comm link. "Anakin, I got separated from your droid."

_"__I'll take care of it. You head back to the Twilight. No, we can't leave yet. I overheard Grievous. They're hyperdrive is almost repaired."_ Anakin and Padme told them.

"We're already heading in that direction, so we'll make sure the hyperdrive stays offline." Obi-wan told them.

"BD-8, better hurry up your search and make your way back to the Twilight afterward. Something tells me Plan D is going to go out the window soon for Plan E." Will spoke into his communicator. He and Obi-wan jumped off the tram and made their way down a corridor.

"What's plan E?" Obi-wan asked.

"Run like a Tauntaun to the exit as fast as possible." Will replied.

It took some time and clever sneaking, but they managed to find the hyperdrive room. They walked in and there were two droids doing maintenance, so it was going to be easy…until the lights turned on. Several dozen droids walked down the walkways to the left and right, three destroyer droids rolled out from behind the panel in front of them and another group of droids marched up behind them.

"Huh, we walked into a trap." Will commented.

"It happens to the best of us." Obi-wan replied when they heard mechanical laughing and a large thud. They turned and saw Grievous standing in the doorway they came through.

**_"_****_Hello there."_** Grievous said with an abundance of smug. **_"General Kenobi, did you really think I would leave the hyperdrive unguarded?"_**

"Anything is possible. You haven't exactly impressed me today." Kenobi quipped.

**_"_****_So smug for a Jedi. Only this time you've brought a young one to die with you."_** Grievous said, looking at Will and began noticing something familiar. "**_Wait a moment…I remember you."_**

Kenobi looked at his Padawan and noticed the angry expression on his face and his tightened fists. Clearly, he and Grievous had a history. "That's right you remember me you bucket of bolts." Will said in anger.

**_"_****_Ah, now I remember. Back in the Geonosian catacombs. You and your master foolishly tried to stop me and if I remember…she payed dearly with her life."_** Grievous happily taunted the young Padawan. He enjoyed mentioning the tragedy that filled the young Jedi's eyes with pain and anguish and decided to bring out a reminder which was in the form of a lightsaber hooked onto one of the slots of his waist. "**_Her lightsaber was the first one I added to my collection. Now I'll add yours to complete the set."_**

"Not gonna happen metal mouth." Will seethed in anger. Obi-wan noticed the ground underneath his Padawan's feet begin to tremble and his robes flutter a bit. He was going to do something. "This will only end with you in the scrap pile."

**_"_****_Kill them both!"_** Grievous shouted, igniting his stolen lightsaber's green blade.

Obi-wan quickly backflipped into the air as Will decided to get some payback. "RAAAH!" He unleashed as massive force repulse wave that crushed the nearby destroyer droids and sent the others and Grievous flying back. Obi-wan landed and quickly sliced some droids in half with his saber.

"Let's go!" Obi-wan shouted as he and his Padawan ran down the walkway to the left but Will activated the pack of explosive and tossed it at Grievous.

The cyborg general heard the beeping coming from the bag and shoved it onto a battle droid before throwing it down the hall and closing the blast doors. The explosion went off, shaking the room a bit and dinging the doors but the hyperdrive was safe. **_"Stay here and guard the hyperdrive. The Jedi are mine!"_**

"Well I guess plan D didn't work at all!" Obi-wan shouted as they ran down the hall.

"No, it didn't!" Will shouted back, running as quickly as possible and were nearing the railway system. "I'm guessing there's going to be a lecture about this but let's wait until after Plan E and get off this thing!"

"Agreed! Jump!" Obi-wan and Will jumped through the air and landed on a passing tram.

_"__Obi-wan, come in, Obi-wan."_ Anakin called over the comms with the distinct sound of blaster fire in the background.

"Anakin, I'm afraid Grievous is onto us." Obi-wan replied.

_"__Yeah, we noticed." _

"We'll rendezvous back at the Twilight. The fleet must engage the Male—**BZZT"** Obi-wan's signal cut out. Their communications signal was being jammed. "Not good. This way!"

Obi-an and Will jumped onto another tram that was heading east but they had some company and judging by the metallic thumps and loud steps it was Grievous. He had a green lightsaber in one claw, stolen from Will's former Master Ur-Sema Du and a blue one in another, taken from another Jedi he killed. He jumped from tram car to car, smashing through crates with brute force and lightsaber fury.

"Keep moving!" Obi-wan told him as he jumped into the air and grabbed onto a mechanical claw. His momentum caused it to spin around and sent him flying at Grievous, landing a kick to his metal face. Grievous lashed out with his blades that Obi-wan blocked and pushed back. Before Grievous could counter attack, several crates hit him in the back. He turned and saw the Padawan using the force to hurl more containers at him which he sliced in half. Will charged forward and flipped over Grievous, activating his saber and slashing at the cyborg who blocked and parried.

Will landed next to master and fired his repulsors which sent Grievous flying back. "Come on." Obi-wan grabbed his Padawan by the arm and they jumped from the tram to one below which was heading in the opposite direction.

"How angry do you think he's going to be?" Will asked.

"Very." Obi-wan said as the two jumped off the speeding tram and landed on a platform. They rushed down the hallway back to the emergency airlock with a squad of battle droids and destroyers after them. Both of the Jedi activated their lightsabers to block blaster fire but mainly took to running away.

"BD-8, where are you?!" Will shouted into his comms, deflecting a blast back at a battle droid and taking its head off.

The blast doors in front of them were closing so they needed to get across or else they'd be trapped. Obi-wan jumped through while Will dive rolled in and made it just as the doors shut. The master and Padawan looked to see BD-8 at the control panel, waving with one of its legs. He spliced into the panel and saved their butts. "Can I just say, I really love your droid." Obi-wan said.

"So do I." Will replied as BD-8 crawled up his back and they continued to the emergency airlock where Anakin, Senator Amidala, R2 and 3PO were waiting for them.

They got onto the ship as Anakin powered it up while Obi-wan contacted the fleet to tell them to continue firing. Unfortunately, as the Twilight flew away from the Malevolence, General Grievous and several vulture droids chased after them.

"Time for some clever tricks, Anakin."

"That's what I was thinking." He replied, doing some quick maneuvers to avoid getting hit.

"I'm on the gun." Will hit a few switches and a periscope gunner display descended that controlled the gun on the wing. He powered it up and began blasting back, destroying a few droids.

"Your Padawan's a pretty good shot." Anakin commented.

"Thank you." Will replied before adjusting his aim and blasting another vulture droid. He saw Grievous's personal starship and tried blasting it only for the cyborg general to evade and let a vulture droid take the hit. R2 began beeping so 3PO translated.

**_"_****_Pardon me sir, R2's scans of the enemy ship indicate their hyperdrive is activating."_** 3PO informed them but Anakin didn't seem worried at all.

"Don't worry about it."

"What?" Obi-wan and Will were not expecting to hear that from him.

Will looked through the periscope and saw the Malevolence adjust its course to fly right towards the moon and Grievous's starship fly away at lightspeed. It wasn't long before the Malevolence crashed into the moon in a big ball of light.

"I imagine you had something to do with that." Obi-wan remarked.

"All part of the plan, Master." Anakin replied.

"So, I'm guessing that was Plan F?" Will joked as the Twilight flew back to the starships.

A little while later, Will was in the flight bay with BD-8 doing some cleanup and repair work on _Rathtar_. It wasn't badly damaged, but the carbon scoring and blast marks would be bad if they weren't cleaned up properly. BD-8 was using his splicing tool and adjusting some wires while Will was cleaning and checking the maintenance on the engines when he heard the sound of boots.

"And here's the lecture I was fearing to come." Will put the rag down and stood up to face his master.

"How is your ship?" Obi-wan asked.

"She's ok. But she needs some cleaning and care if I'm ever going to take her out again." Will replied before taking a deep breath and looking Obi-wan in the face. "I'm sorry for what happened today, Master. I let my anger get the best of me."

Obi-wan looked at his padawan and saw he was remorseful of his rash actions and his behavior but realized that he went through a similar thing when his master Qui-gon Jinn died. The only difference between the two was that Obi-wan managed to avenge his master while Will hasn't. "Yes, you did…but I went through the same thing too when my master was killed." Obi-wan said.

"You did?" Will asked.

"I did. And like you I succumb to my anger and rage at that moment to defeat the Sith who killed him." Obi-wan told him, remembering his duel with Darth Maul and when he killed him. "One of my proudest moments as well as the one that I reflect on the most and so should you. Anger, hatred, vengeance…these emotions can lead one to the dark side if you let them consume you. Remember the Jedi Code."

"I'll try, Master." Will nodded and Obi-wan pat him on the shoulder. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are." Obi-wan replied. "This is something that shouldn't be taken lightly. I fear as the war drags on the pull to the dark side will get stronger and stronger. You will be faced with tough choices. Choices that will come to define you and the path you take. I've already seen glimpses of that now and I have faith you will do great things, but you must remain strong. Never waver and trust in the force."

"Yes, Master." Will replied. "So, what's my punishment?"

"You will be joining Cody and Rex on their routine check to all the outer rim outposts. All of them." Obi-wan said.

"All? But there are over a hundred."

"Yes, there are and you will listen to them and obey their orders. I think some time to reflect will help you greatly and using that time productively is a good idea as well. Cody can teach you a few things." Obi-wan said. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master." Will was dreading this punishment…unaware that it wasn't going to be as boring as he thought.

**End of Chapter 1**

**Don't worry, guys. I know my update schedule hasn't been the best and I'm sorry for that. I try my best, but I work full-time and there's not a lot of time left to write. I plan to get my Agents of SHIELD story up this month as well. After that, I might need to do some checking and see which of my old stories I want to continue. The main one being my Naruto/Game of thrones story since I have the Blue Wolf up. I'll let you guys know but nothing is set yet. **

**I hoped you guys like the beginning chapter of my story. I was planning to do another Star Wars story but just had to figure out a character and story and I didn't want to redo my Naruto one. After re-watching the clone wars and the Mandalorian, I thought this would be a pretty good idea. It's not the most original story as there are other Mandalorian Jedi stories up so hopefully mine will stick out. I know some people may have problems with certain points like him training at age 8 but it's a story so suspend your disbelief a little bit. My plan is to hopefully get this to go throughout the clone wars and eventually the movies with twists to the canon along the way. **

**This story will combine elements from both Canon and legends stories the first one being Will's former master Ur-Sema Du who was killed by Grievous. More elements will show up as the story goes on. I hoped you guys like the OC, again it's only the first chapter so there's still a lot to explore and more of his backstory and training will be explored later in flashbacks, including elements of his Mandalorian heritage. Possibly even hints as to who his father is. A lot of the Mandalorian information I get is from the Star Wars wiki and information videos, so I don't know everything. Also, for those a little confused as to the timing of his birth and the Mandalorian Civil war, I don't think it's explicitly stated when it occurred but when Obi-wan was a Padawan he met Satine during the civil war and protected her and Will was born shortly after before the war ended so it matches up. **

**Also in terms of the pairing, it won't be Will and Ahsoka. That's too common for clone wars stories and honestly I'm not feeling it. Their relationship will be older brother/younger sister bickering relationship. They get on each other's nerves but trust one another completely. The pairing is yet to be decided at the moment but I have some ideas. **

**Next chapter, the routine outpost inspection turns out to be anything but routine, but it does introduce Will to some new friends and allies. After that, he takes some side trips to Kamino and wants to help with the situation on Ryloth but is going to need the help of an old friend for that. Until next time. **

**Will Vizsla, Son of Pio Vizsla, nephew of Pre Vizsla and Mandalorian by birth. Padawan Jedi. **

· **Birthdate: 38BY**-Age 16

· **Padawan Apprentice to Obi-wan Kenobi, Former Padawan of Ur-Sema Du, Son of Pio Vizsla. Nephew of Pre Vizsla. **

· **Appearance:** Dylan O'Brien from Maze Runner: The Death Cure.

o **Clothing:**

§ Dark blue Padawan robes and combat boots. Combat belt with Cyan Blue lightsaber. **(Imagine the Fallen Lightsaber from )**

§ Ancestral Mandalorian Beskar armored combat gloves and forearm guards with weapons. Necklace with symbol of Clan Vizsla.

· **Personality:** Kind, caring, quick-witted and smart. Able to adapt to situations very easily. Prone to quips to distract or enrage his enemies. Can be a bit of a smartass yet humble and works well with others. Extremely proficient in tinkering and building with electronics. Excellent pilot and mechanic. Knowledge in warfare and weapons from extensive self-tutelage at the Jedi Temple and Mandalorian training by Pio Vizsla. When triggered, can be aggressive and unhinged to a point.

· **Skills and Powers**

o **Force Powers:**

§ Force speed, Force sense, Force Jump, Force Stasis, Force Pull/Push, Force Throw, Force Barrier, Force Repulse, Animal Bond/Taming beasts, Mind Trick, Levitation, Lightsaber throw.

o **Combat Skills**:

§ Specialized in Form 2 Makashi-Lightsaber-to-Lightsaber combat, Form 3 Soresu-Blaster counter/Defense, Form four Ataru-combines speed, strength, agility, powers, and the force to aid in movement and combat.

§ Adept at hand-to-hand combat.

§ Mandalorian gauntlets with repulsor, grappling line, wrist rockets, flamethrower, laser splicer, retractable wrist/forearm blades, shield projector, and built-in communicator and holovid.

· Black and Blue BD-8 companion droid

· Personalized blue colored black striped Delta-7B A_ethersprite_-class light interceptor ship-nicknamed **_Rathtar_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any mentioned properties. All rights belong to their respective owners, I'm just a fan. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is Chapter 2 of the Mandalorian Maverick. Will's punishment for his outburst on the Malevolence is doing a routine outpost inspection with Cody and Rex. Little does he know it'll introduce him to three clones who will stick with him through the Clone Wars. After that, he takes a trip to Kamino where he meets likeminded warriors and expand his circle of friends and allies. Then their first mission. They head to Coruscant to take out Separatist activity that could undermine the Republic and hurt a lot of people. Enjoy!**

**The Mandalorian Maverick: The Rathtar Squad**

**22BBY: Rishi Outpost, Rishi System**

Honestly, if Will could put two words to what it's been like with Cody and Rex doing this outpost inspection in the Outer Rim it would be…_agonizingly boring_. Those two words pretty much summed up what his experience has been like. There were over a hundred outpost stations set up on Outer Rim worlds or moons that acted as early alerts in case of Separatist sneak attacks or to let them know of important movements and relay them to command. He understood it was important, but it was just so boring.

Still, Will did his best to take it as seriously as he could. He spoke with the clone officers at each outpost to get some information on their jobs along with the schematics and designs of the outpost systems. He also conversed with Cody and Rex about military strategy, tactics, and their training. Hearing everything, they went through on Kamino made him interested in going. When he wasn't busy with that, he read over holo-books on battles of the Jedi and Sith during the old Republic and the Jedi-Mandalorian war. Granted, the information was sparse, and he couldn't access a lot of it but read the parts he could access. When he wasn't doing that, he spent time meditating to try and find his center. Master Kenobi said to use this time to reflect and grow stronger with the force. He would recite the Jedi code as he meditated to find peace…granted, he had some concerns with the code but that was for another day.

Now they were heading to the Rishi moon outpost in the Rishi system for their last outpost inspection. Rex and Cody were in a transport ship while Will was in his Jedi Interceptor with the hyperdrive ring attached. Cody opened a comm link channel between their ship, Will's and the outpost.

"Rishi outpost, this is Commander Cody come in. Rishi outpost come in." Cody sent out over the comm channel. "Rishi outpost, come in. Rishi outpost, come in!"

The comms was eventually answered, and a clone appeared on the holovid. _"Um…sorry Commander. We're um experiencing difficulties."_

"This is the inspection team." Cody called in.

_"__Inspection? Negative, negative. We, uh do not require an inspection. Everything is fine here. Thank you."_

"We'll be the judge of that. Prepare for our arrival." Cody told him.

_"__Roger, roger."_ The clone then ended the comm link.

"Is it just me or was that kind of odd?" Will asked.

"No, you're right sir. Something's not right about this." Rex added.

"Well, good luck. I'm putting you in charge of this one." Cody told him.

"All right, preparing for moon entry." Will disengaged the hyperdrive ring as the two ships made their descent towards the moon outpost platform. He looked out his cockpit and noticed how dark it was. "BD-8, are you picking anything up?"

BD-8 shook his head no. Everything seemed to fine on the scanners and the outpost was still broadcasting the all clear signal. Will's interceptor and the transport ship landed on the platform and they could see no one was around to greet them like the other places.

"Something about this doesn't seem right. Call it a gut feeling…and my gut is never wrong." Will opened his cockpit and got out. He was dressed in his usual Padawan garb and his armored Beskar gauntlets. He secured his lightsaber on his belt as BD-8 got out of the droid slot and climbed onto his shoulder. He walked over to Cody and Rex as the three walked across the platform.

"This is not good. I don't see the deck officer anywhere." Cody said.

"These boys are sloppy. There should always be an officer on duty." Rex added.

"Something definitely doesn't feel right." Will told them as the doors to the outpost opened and a clone trooper walked out.

"Welcome to Rishi, Commander. As you can see the outpost is operating at peak efficiency. Thank you for visiting and have a safe trip back." He said as Rex, Cody, and Will shared looks of confusion.

"We need to inspect the base, just to be safe." Cody told him but the Clone trooper began to get defensive and didn't want them to enter.

"Uh…Everything is fine and fully operational."

"We're here to do an inspection. Take us to your sergeant." Will told him.

"Roger, roger." The trooper replied when a red signal flare shot up into the air from the nearby canyon.

"A droid attack flare?" Cody was now confused but Will quickly ignited his saber and sliced the trooper's head off.

"Sir, what the hell did you do?!" Cody was beyond shocked that Will would kill a clone trooper like that.

"Calm down, Cody." He picked up the helmet and a distinct looking battle droid head fell out. "I couldn't feel anything from the trooper and the only two reasons for that would be he's dead or wasn't alive to begin with."

"It looks like one of those new commando droids." Rex said, looking it over.

"That flare must have come from the survivors." Cody said when Will's hearing picked up movement behind them, so he quickly turned and began blocking blaster fire from the outpost as more Commando droids showed up. "Ambush!"

"Get to cover!" Will shouted, deflecting and blocking laser blasts while Cody and Rex fired back. They rushed over to some crates as Cody blasted a droid in the leg and chest. It fell down but quickly got back up and fired back.

"Those clankers have tough armor!" Cody shouted as he and Rex got behind cover. Will backflipped high into the air and threw his saber. It spun like a buzz saw and sliced two Commando droids in half before it returned to him.

Commando droids appeared from the supply crates near their ships and essentially boxed them in from both sides, cutting them off from their only escape. "We're cut off!" Cody shouted as Will deflected a laser back at a commando droid, but it shrugged off the impact and kept firing. Two droids rushed out of the outpost with rocket launchers and took aim at their ships.

"Off the platform!" Rex shouted as the droids fired and destroyed their ships. The smoke cloud settled as the droids looked around and didn't seen any bodies.

**_"_****_No sign of them. They must have been pulverized. Resume defensive post."_** The Commando droid said to the others as they went back into the outpost, unaware that Rex, Cody, and Will survived and were hanging from the platform via ascension and grapple cables.

_"__Seriously?! After all that time fixing and modifying her she gets blown up! Those droids are so going to pay for this. Pay for this dearly!"_ Will whispered to himself. He was beyond pissed as the three descended to the canyon floor.

They landed on the canyon floor and saw the smoldering wreckage of their ships. BD-8 gave out a mournful beep seeing Rathtar in the flames, especially after all the work they've done.

"Well, this complicates things." Rex said.

"Not that much. Those clankers are scrap metal when I get my hands on them." Will said before taking a deep breath and calming himself down. "Anyway, we need to get back up there. The Separatists must be planning something big if they're taking this outpost over."

Cody and Rex nodded when they saw three shadows in the fire and aimed their guns. "Hands up! Step forward and take your sun bonnets off!" Rex shouted as the three figures appeared to show themselves as clone troopers.

"Uh, sir?"

"DO it now!" Rex shouted and the three troopers did as they were told, and they were in fact clones. Cody and Rex lowered their guns only for a Rishi moon eel to burrow out of the canyon wall behind them. It reared its jaw, ready to chomp them into pieces only for Rex to blast it in the eye, killing it instantly and its large body dropped to the ground.

Rex took off its helmet and inspected the animal, staining his left hand with its blue blood. "Nice shot." One of the clones remarked.

"My name is Rex, but you will address me as Captain or Sir." Rex said, facing them as they stood at attention.

"Sir, yes sir!"

"I'm Commander Cody, and this is Commander Vizsla. We're your new bosses." Cody introduced them, removing his helmet as well.

"My designation is Trooper 27-5555." The trooper replied.

"We call him Fives. I'm Hevy. This is Echo." Hevy introduced them.

"Where's your sergeant?" Will asked.

"Dead, sir. We're all that's left." Echo told him.

Rex walked over to inspect the new clones. "Looks like we've got ourselves a bunch of shinnies, commanders."

"Shinnies, sir?" Echo asked.

"That's right. Your armor, it's shiny and new…just like you." Rex placed his hand on Echo's armor, leaving a blue colored handprint.

"Sir, me and my batch are trained and ready. We'll take back our post, shiny or not." Hevy told him.

"There's hope for you yet, rookie." Rex commented.

"All right, the odds tip a little in our favor. Now, what do you say we take this outpost back?" Will asked and they all nodded.

"Any ideas, sir?" Cody asked as Will thought over it for a second when he saw their helmets.

"I think I have an idea." Will replied. "It if works then we can turn the tide of what happened here."

"But there are so many of them." Fives said.

"That's never stopped us yet and it won't now. This one is important. If this outpost is lost to us, then Kamino is at risk. We won't let that happened." Will said before explaining his plan.

Back up at the outpost, three Commando droids were stationed near the entrance on guard duty in case something happened. Now things seemed quiet until one of the droids noticed something closing in on the camera. It was a clone trooper wobbling towards the gate.

**_"_****_What is that? Unit 2-6 is that you?"_** The Commando droid asked.

"Roger, roger." Rex replied, sounding as monotone as he could to sound like a droid.

**_"_****_You sound strange. Is something wrong with your vocabulator?" _**

"Roger, roger." Rex messed with his collar to act like a droid attempting to fix its voice box.

**_"_****_Take off your helmet. Let me see your faceplate."_**

"Roger, roger." Rex removed his helmet but stepped down to avoid the camera and raised the severed head of one of the commando droids Will sliced off. Cody, Echo, Hevy, Fives, and Will were perched up against the doors to the outpost, out of sight.

"This is never gonna work." Cody shook his head in disbelief only for the door to open and the droids to see Will standing there with his saber ignited.

**_"_****_Jedi!" _**

"Hi there." Will sliced the head and torso off one of the droids while Rex and Cody blasted the other two. "Let's move."

They made their way through the passageway and stopped at the stairs. "Sir, permission to take point?" Hevy asked.

"Sorry, Hevy. Those droids took out my ship. I'm taking point." Will rushed up the stairs and saw the command center with half a dozen Commando droids stationed around. He threw his saber and it sliced through two droids before the rest opened fire, so he dove to the side. Rex, Cody, and the others climbed the stairs and fired their blasters at the droids as a small fire fight erupted.

The droids were agile and managed to avoid getting hit by direct blasts and one managed to nick Fives in the shoulder. Will jumped off a chair into a corkscrew spin as his saber spun back to his hand. He landed on the ground and kicked a droid into the wall before ducking under a blast from behind and slicing that droid in half and then into quarters. The droid Will kicked got up and drew a vibro-blade before lunging at him. Will blocked and parried the droid's attacks before slicing its hands off and cleaving it in two. Rex and Cody blasted two droids while Hevy and Echo double-teamed the last one.

"I got one!"

"Sorry, Echo. I junked that one."

"Like hell you did."

"Not so tough now are you sparky?" Hevy taunted the dead droid.

Cody walked up to the main console and saw something show up on the scanners. "Get to the window. It looks like we have more visitors."

They rushed over to the window and Echo used his electro-visor to get a clear look and it wasn't good. There were eight Separatist _Munificent_-class star frigates and two _Lucrehulk-_class Droid control ships. "It looks like a Separatist fleet."

"That's why they commandeered the outpost. They're mounting a full-scale invasion." Cody said.

"We have to warn command." Rex told them while Fives was at the main console to assess the damage.

"That's going to be hard, sir. Those clankers sabotaged our transmitter and they hard-wired the all-clear signal. It'll take time to repair." Fives told him,

"We don't have that kind of time." Will said.

"Look!" Cody pointed and they saw a droid carrier ship descend to the platform.

"Well buddy, you always said you wanted to be on the front lines." Echo said to Hevy.

"This just got complicated. Those droids are gonna come after us with everything they have while their fleet continues on. We need to stop them before they do that." Will said before looking at Rex and nodding. The two were on the same train of thought. "There's only one option we have."

"We destroy the outpost." Rex told them.

"But sir, our mission is to defend this facility at all costs." Fives said.

"We have to warn the Republic about the invasion. They'll take notice when the all-clear signal stops." Rex said.

"That's right. When they stop receiving our beacon, they'll get the message something's wrong." Echo concluded.

"We'll need every thermal detonator in the armory." Rex told them.

"I don't think that's going to be enough to take this place out." Will pointed out.

"We can use the LT. This moon freezes for over half the year. We use liquid tibanna as fuel to heat the base." Echo explained.

"Liquid Tibanna: highly explosive." Cody said.

"Nice. Bring the tanks here and prime the detonators. Let's give those droids a surprise they're not expecting. Those droids and the Separatists are in this sector for one reason: Kamino. Now, I have no authority to speak of it but as far as I'm concerned, anyone who threatens the home of my comrades and their brothers is going to have to go through me. Today you don't just fight for the Republic…you fight for your home." Will told them.

"Sir, yes sir!" Hevy, Echo, Fives, Cody, and Rex put on their helmets and got prepared for the assault. Fives, Echo, Cody, and Will went to the armory to gear up.

"I think we can even the odds a bit, commander. Especially since they don't know we're here." Hevy said before picking up a heavy rotary blaster. "This one's mine."

"A big gun doesn't make a big man." Cody told him before handing Fives two DC-15S blaster carbines while he took a DC-15A heavy blaster rifle. Rex and Echo moved the LT tanks over to the main room. They were going to set everything up while Will and the others gave them as much time as they could.

A squadron of battle droids arrived at the front door to the outpost and activated the intercom. **_"Reinforcements reporting. Open up." _**

The door opened to reveal Hevy with his rotary blaster. "Didn't say please." He opened fire and completely decimated the first squadron of battle droids but there were still more to come.

"**_Clones! Get 'em!"_** The rest of the droids in the troop transport pressed forward, firing back as Hevy laid down a heavy suppressive fire which mowed down a few more droids. Cody joined him in laying down fire as Echo threw a thermal detonator which blew some apart. He then fired his two DC-15S blasters as they were making quick work of the battle droids with easy. Unfortunately, more battle droids descended from the carrier along with super battle droids. They began making their way forward and laid down heavy suppressive fire that forced the clones to take cover. Several of the super battle droids had rocket launcher attachments and fired but either missed or hit the outpost walls.

"Sir, we're taking heavy fire!" Cody shouted into his comms.

"I'm on it!" Will shouted, jumping out of the window from the second floor and throwing down several thermal detonators. They rolled onto the platform and blew up several super battle droids. He landed and moved into a quick roll before ignited his saber and slicing several droids into pieces at the legs or torso before channeling the force to increase his speed. He raced across the platform and sliced down droids as he did while the clones opened fire when he was clear.

Will took cover behind a crate as several of the droids fired at him while the others kept focused on the clones. He tossed another thermal detonator from behind the crate which blew up in a large fireball before rushing out again. The saber sliced two battle droids in half in one swing before a super battle droid was sliced down the middle and force pushed into others. A super battle droid fired at him, but he side-stepped and evaded the blaster fire before rushing forwards. Once he got close, he vaulted off it like it was a platform, deflecting blaster fire as he fell to the ground and threw out another force push wave that sent several droids flying off the edge and into the canyon.

Despite Will taking down over forty droids in quick succession, more poured out from the carrier ship and blasted at him. Several destroyer droids unfolded and deployed their shields before firing at him putting Will on the defensive, quickly covering himself and deflecting any blaster fire he could while being pushed back to the door. Echo quickly tossed out a thermal detonator as Will rushed back into the door just as Cody closed it and smashed the control panel.

"Well we took out a solid chunk of them, but those droids are relentless." Will commented.

"Still nicely done sir." Echo said.

"Yeah, I've never heard a Jedi moving like you do." Hevy told him.

"That's because there's no Jedi like Commander Vizsla." Cody informed them.

"Jedi fight their own way…but Mandalorians fight another way." Will replied. "Let's hunker down a bit. Those droids will be through the doors soon. Echo, head back and get any more thermal detonators you can."

"Yes sir." Echo rushed back upstairs to the armory while Hevy, Cody, and Will took up defensive positions in the hallway to the entrance and waited for the droids to break through. The sound of clanking and blaster fire indicated they were close. The sound of thermal detonators priming could be heard before the door was blown open and the droids marched through laying down heavy fire.

Cody and Hevy were in cover, firing back while Will deflected and blocked blaster fire with his saber. Echo managed to rush back down and tossed a thermal detonator down the hallway, taking down some more droids but more kept coming and the blaster fire got more intense.

"Fall back to the op center!" Will shouted, covering the clones as they rushed back up-stairs.

"Rex, they're here." Cody told him over the comms.

"Almost ready." Rex replied as they made it up to the op center. Will smashed the control panel and the blast door shut. "The handset isn't linking up with the detonator. Hevy!"

"Yes, sir!"

"This detonator isn't working." Rex told him as Hevy took it.

"I'll take care of it. It'll be fixed in no time. You guys get out of here." Hevy told him.

"Just make it fast. Those droids are getting close." Rex told him as they began making their escape through the service tunnel.

Hevy began messing with it while Will stayed by the blast door, hearing them getting close. "Hevy, what's the hold up?"

"Something's wrong with this thing. It's not working."

"BD-8, see what you can do." Will said as BD-8 scurried down his back and rushed over to begin splicing the detonator and try to fix the problem. "Hevy, take up position on their flank and mow them down if they break through."

"Yes, sir!" Hevy grabbed his blaster and moved into some cover by the console that overlooked the door so he could flank the droids if they entered and had cover as well.

Will closed his eyes and concentrated, channeling as much focus and power as he could into his hands. He gestured like he was holding a ball and soon enough the air around it began to distort and the space in between trembled before he opened his eyes and released a concentrated force wave that blew half the door open. The force ripped the metal off its hinges and sent it crashing into several droids. The others kept moving and fired their blasters at him which he deflected and blocked.

Hevy opened fire and began mowing them down as they came through the doorway, having the perfect vantage point and good line of sight. Will flipped through the air and sliced a droid in two when BD-8 beeped and jumped onto the cannister to wave its leg at him, signaling the job was done.

"Hevy, let's go!" Will shouted.

Hevy jumped from his cover and rushed over to the service tunnel, grabbing the detonator as he did when he was hit in the leg by a stray laser. Will saw him go down and force pushed the droids back down the stairs before rushing over and helping him.

"Forget me, sir. Go ahead!" Hevy told him but Will pushed the rotary blaster away and put the clone's arm around his shoulder before carrying him over to the service tunnel.

"Forget it. We're all getting out of here." Will told him as they began making their way through. BD-8 followed, closing the tunnel behind him as they made their way out.

"Commander Vizsla, where are you?" Rex called in on the comms.

"We're almost there." Will told him as he carried Hevy through the tunnels and out to the canyon ledge where the others were waiting for them. He set him down against the canyon wall as BD-8 popped out a stem vial. "Hevy, blow it."

"With pleasure, sir." Hevy pressed the detonator which primed the explosives on the TB cannisters, and they began beeping at an accelerated pace.

**_"_****_Uh, what's that?"_**

**_"_****_I don't know. What do I look like? A protocol droid?" _**

**_"_****_I have a bad feeling about this."_**

The droids had no idea how bad it was as the TB cannisters blew up which set off a chain reaction that destroyed the outpost and the landing platform as well. Will covered his eyes from the fireball while the clones watched the destruction.

"I always did hate that place." Hevy joked.

Echo checked his scope and saw the Separatists flee retreat to hyperspace. "We've got those tinnies on the run."

"Thanks to us. We did good work today, all of us." Will told them.

"Incoming gunship. We're getting off this crater boys." Rex said as two gunships descended to the outpost wreckage. Will ignited his saber so they could see the light and pick them up.

Line Break xxxxx

Once they were aboard the _Negotiator_ Will, Rex, and Cody explained what happened to Anakin and Obi-wan. To say they weren't expecting that is an understatement, but they were proud of how they acted in the situation and that they managed to alert them in time before Grievous and the Separatists could mount an invasion of Kamino. To honor Hevy, Echo, and Fives for their valor and bravery against all odds there was a small ceremony in the flight bay.

"On behalf of the Republic, we thank you for your valiant service and the lives of your fellow comrades." Obi-wan said as he, Anakin, and Will pinned medals to their armor.

"The three of you showed remarkable courage today. I'm proud to fight beside you from this day forth." Will said as Obi-wan and Anakin stepped aside.

"Congratulations. You're not shinnies anymore." Rex told them.

"With all due respect, sir, we failed our mission. We don't deserve this honor." Echo said.

"No, if it weren't for you the Republic wouldn't have learned of the Separatists' invasion until it was too late." Cody said.

"And you alerted us to the commando droids waiting for us. Without you three its likely we would have fallen into a trap and gotten captured or killed." Will added.

"You should be receiving this medal today, too sir. You led us and saved us more than once." Hevy said, rubbing his leg which was still a little sore.

"No, this was your day. And I'm proud to have fought beside each and every one of you. I've been thinking of putting together my own personal squad and I'd be honored if you three would be the first members." Will said and they all smiled.

"Sir, it would be our honor." Fives said.

"Well then, Fives, Echo, Hevy…welcome to the Rathtar Squad." Will announced as they stood at attention and saluted.

"Sir, yes sir."

"Take this victory today. Get some rest and I'll let you know when we have our first mission." Will said, dismissing them before walking over to join his master.

"You did well today, my young Padawan." Obi-wan told him. "Had I known what would have transpired I wouldn't have sent you without any reinforcements."

"You couldn't have known what would have happened, Master. And I did have backup. Rex and Cody were there with me every step of the way." Will assured him. "Still…what happened today shows Grievous is more conniving than we originally thought. It's gonna take some serious outsmarting to take him and Count Dooku down."

"That it will. Cody and Rex informed me of how well you held yourself today in a leadership position. And of your desire to lead a squad of your own." Obi-wan said.

"Yes, Master. I know I still have a lot to learn but I also think I have a lot to contribute." Will explained.

"Please explain." Obi-wan was curious to his Padawan's train of thought.

"You and the rest of the Jedi have years of experience over me. I understand and I'm not questioning that at all. You are all wise and I value all your wisdom and input." Will assured him with the utmost respect.

"Why do I sense a but coming?" Obi-wan asked.

"But I also feel that I have knowledge in areas that most Jedi are completely inept at." Will told them. Anakin was nearby and having heard that was a little interested in what he just heard.

"How do you mean?" Anakin asked, joining the conversation.

"No offense meant, Master Skywalker. You and Master Kenobi are several of the exception to my previous point, but most Jedi aren't trained for war." Will told them. "The Jedi are peacekeepers, not exactly generals trained in military combat and strategy."

"And you believe you are?" Obi-wan asked.

"I'm trained more than most at the temple, for sure. I'm not an expert by any means, Master and I don't hold the disillusion that I'm wiser beyond my years, but I do have more training in specialized areas than any of the Padawans at the temple and most of the Jedi." Will said, trying to make his point without being rude. "The Jedi are trained to handle a situation as diplomatically and peacefully as can be before violence is necessary and I partially believe that as well. There is no need for senseless violence but that kind of mentality of defensive warfare doesn't exactly work well in a war or battle."

"I don't know about that. We've kind of done all right so far." Anakin pointed out.

"I think we might have different definitions of all right." Will replied. "The battle of Geonosis is a prime example of what I'm talking about, Master Skywalker."

"We won that battle." Anakin reminded him.

"But at what cost? It wasn't exactly the best start to the war and also helps to prove part of my point. Over 179 Jedi were killed that day along with thousands of clones not to mention nearly five thousand clone commandos." Will recounted. "Most of those deaths could have been avoided if the battle on Geonosis wasn't on such a flat surface and we didn't go straight at them."

"You seem to know a lot about that day." Anakin commented.

"He was there, Anakin." Obi-wan told him which surprised him.

"Master Kenobi is actually my second Master. I was Padawan to Master Ur-Sema Du and we were there on the planet to help rescue you." Will told him.

"I'm sorry. You have my condolences for your master." Anakin said as Will nodded.

"Thank you, Master Skywalker. After the arena battle, I was on the ground in the desert and I saw what happened. We set up our army literally across the desert from the droids on a flat even terrain which is a text-book bonehead move in a battle. It gave the droids a direct line of sight at our army and the result of that were numerous battalions and squads sent marching directly into the line of fire and completely wiped out. I saw Master Windu lead several groups of Commando clones into the line of fire with no cover and pretty much all of them were killed." Will explained.

"We did eventually win that battle, though." Anakin pointed out.

"Yeah, after extensive losses and with air support. And it wasn't the Separatists battle to win but ours to lose. They were evacuating off the planet and that droid army was just there to hold us off. The battle eventually ended with the help of special squads that went to take out the droid factories but even then, it was difficult. I should know. My master and I were sent through the Geonosian catacombs to reinforce a clone battalion making an attack at a factory but ran into a trap." Will explained and Obi-wan put the pieces together.

"That's where you met General Grievous for the first time."

"He was waiting there for us. We had no idea what he was and when we did it was too late." Will said, remembering that day vividly and how powerful Grievous was. He only wielded an electro-staff in that fight but was more than able to keep up with the both of them and he would have died that day if it weren't for the valiant sacrifice of his master and the arrival of backup forces. But Grievous escaped that day and took his master's saber as a trophy. After that day, more and more Jedi have died by his hands. "After that day, I've personally doubled my training and reading into military strategy and combat so something like that could be avoided in the future. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case."

"You're right about that." Obi-wan said, thinking over the course of the clone wars. While they won their fair share of battles, the losses they have accrued were also something to note and their military strategy hadn't exactly improved. The Battle of Hypori was a good example of this. The Republic cruisers were crippled and crashed onto the planet surface via orbital mines and the clones were soon decimated by the droid army and General Grievous. It was a harsh loss with Master Mundi, Shaak Ti, K'Kruhk and Aayla Secura managing to survive due to the quick response by the Alpha-Class Advanced Recon Commando squad troopers led by Captain Fordo. They managed to break through the massive droid army, keep Grievous at bay and rescue the Jedi before leaving.

Will made some valid points and while his responses and answers could be seen as egocentric given that he was essentially saying he had better training, it wasn't to make himself seem better than the others. Obi-wan could tell that wasn't the case. It was more to address a growing concern and want to help. "I'm just hoping for a chance, Master. I know I have a lot to learn but I also believe I can help as well." Will told him.

"And I believe that, my young Padawan, I do. You do have knowledge and training that could prove vital in the coming years but your eagerness to help and your willingness to put yourself in harm's way is a concern." Obi-wan addressed.

"I'd like to think of it more as a desire to uphold the mission of the Jedi order: to protect the galaxy. In this case, protecting the galaxy means helping fight the Separatists." Will pointed out.

"You're quite quick with the retorts, aren't you?" Obi-wan asked as Will smirked back.

"I've learned it from you, Master."

Obi-wan chuckled before making his decision. "Very well. You can start building a squad of clone troopers to follow you in battle. And as my padawan you will always have a voice in our battle plans but be mindful of your place among others. You're still a Padawan and while you may have something to say in a situation, that doesn't mean you should."

"Yes, Master." Will bowed his head. "When do I not have to worry about that so much?"

"When you're ready." Obi-wan assured him. "Now, get some rest. We're headed to Kamino to soon to drop off our wounded and pick up new recruits and equipment."

"Yes, Master." Will replied heading off to get some much needed rest.

Line Break xxxxx

**Kamino**

A planetary rotation cycle later and _the Negotiator_ entered Kamino airspace to gather new troops and equipment. The star destroyer hovered down to the planet's surface where it landed on the large landing platform of the floating cities. The constant rain was a nice wash to the spaceship as the landing platform opened up. Once the ship was fully docked, transport droids began moving the injured safely off the ship and new supplies were loaded. Obi-wan was talking with Cody while Will was with Fives, Echo, and Hevy in their clone armor. Will had asked them to be his first recruits to the Rathtar squad and they accepted. Their chest armor had two symbols, one was a blue handprint on the right side in reference to Rex when they first met, and the left side had the Shriek-hawk claw mark of the Mandalorian clan Vizla indicating they worked with Will.

"So, this is where you guys grew up and trained?" Will asked.

"Yeah, never figured we'd be back here of all places so soon." Hevy said.

"Ah, Hevy's just a little home sick." Fives joked.

"Well, if this is where you guys came from then show me around." Will said as they began walking through the Kaminoan facility. They walked down a hallway that overlooked the birthing tubes and on the other side was the academy where the younger clones learned military strategy, history, and other basic skills. "So, this is where you guys grew up?"

"It is. Man, if feels just like yesterday we were heading over to target practice." Echo said.

"Yeah, good times." Fives said as he saw a group of young clone cadets being escorted to their next lesson.

"Time sure does fly." Hevy commented when he saw 99 carrying some training blasters. "Hey, 99!"

"Ha, Echo. Fives. Hevy." 99 was glad to see them alive.

"You actually remember us."

"Of course. I remember all my brothers." 99 said.

"It's good to see you 99." Hevy knelt and pat his brother on the shoulder.

"Oh, here I kept this safe for you." 99 held out the medal Hevy gave him before he shipped out. "You can have it back."

"Nah, you keep it. It's in good hands with you." Hevy told him with a smile.

"So, what brings you guys back to Kamino?"

"We're here resupplying and picking up new recruits before we ship out. We just thought we'd give the commander a quick tour." Hevy said, gesturing to Will.

"A Jedi." 99 quickly bowed his head in respect.

"You don't need to do that, 99. I'm a Padawan. I'm Will Vizsla but please call me Will. It's nice to meet you." Will said with a smile. "So, I imagine you must know your way around this place."

"I do, sir."

"Then would you mind giving me a private tour? I can tell I'd be in good hands with you." Will said.

"Sure thing. Let's start out with the training arenas." 99 led them into another building where the training arena were set up. Here the clone squads and units were trained in formations, attack patterns, or other specialized tasks. They walked out onto a platform and saw a bunch of cadets running the citadel challenge.

"Bring back any memories, guys?" Will asked.

"Sure does. The fact that we kept failing this course over and over is never gonna leave my brain anytime soon." Hevy joked as the others laughed.

"What's the objective?" Will asked.

"Take down the droids and take the citadel." Echo explained as they watched the recruits move from cover to cover and take down the droids. "It's a lot harder than it looks."

"Still, you guys passed your test and standing beside me is proof of that. Now that we're a team something tells me we'll run into similar situations like this and on the Rishi moon." Will told them. "But I know you guys will be ready."

"Are there any other training sessions set up?" Fives asked.

"Yeah, there's a special one. Follow me." 99 led them back into the hall and down the hallway where they met with Jedi Master Shaak Ti.

"Master Shaak Ti." Will bowed his head in respect.

"Padawan. Domino squad, good to see you again although you are short a few members." She noted.

"We lost our brothers on the Rishi moon." Hevy told her.

"I am sorry for your loss. Padawan, a moment of your time." She said.

"Yes, Master. You guys go ahead. I'll catch up." Will told them as 99 led them away while he stayed behind to talk to Master Shaak Ti. "Can I help you with something, Master?"

"I just got back from talking to Master Kenobi at the loading docks. He speaks quite highly of you and your skill in battle." She said as they walked down the hallway together.

"Thank you, Master Ti. Master Kenobi speaks highly of you as well." Will told her and she nodded.

"He says you are different than normal Padawans. I don't know many younglings with an affinity for military strategy and history as you do." She noted.

"Well, I'm not like other Padawans. I'm hoping my affinity in those areas can help against the Separatists. Hevy, Echo, and Fives are part of my team and hopefully we'll be able to help with the coming battles. My mother often said that strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory and tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. So far the path to victory is a slow on." He commented.

"Indeed. The war has dragged on and seems to have no end in sight. The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our hands." She quoted and Will was a little taken back.

"That's a Mandalorian proverb. How do you know that?" Will asked as they walked onto a balcony overlooking a training area where Echo, Fives, Hevy, and 99 were standing.

"From a Mandalorian." She said as Will saw a squad of Clones going through a live training exercise with a male human overseeing their training. The squad of four clones were doing a live fire exercise against a droid battalion and a large spider droid. The clones moved from cover to cover in quick and expert manner, firing back at the droids with DC-17M Interchangeable Weapon System blasters. The unique weapons, the bulky backpacks, and their distinct looking armor and helmets indicated that they were Clone Commandos.

Will remembered seeing troopers like that on Geonosis during the battle and it was a squad of clone commandos that showed up in the catacombs and saved him from Grievous. He also remembered seeing Master Windu lead several squads into battle only for most of them to get wiped out. The commandos were supposed to be the elite special forces of the Grand Army of the Republic but not a lot was known about them.

"Clone Commandos." Will said and Shaak Ti nodded.

"Indeed. This is Omega Squad." She told him.

"Egh, so what? Commandos or not, they don't look any different than us." Hevy commented. "I don't see what the big hype is."

"I'm guessing things between all clones aren't exactly on the best of terms?" Will questioned.

"Make no mistake, sir. We're all brothers. There's no doubt about that…but we feel we do just as much work as they do yet they get all the hype." Echo pointed out.

"Ego and arrogance don't have place here, young Echo." Shaak Ti told him.

"She has a point, Echo. War and combat are not a place where ego should linger. Regular clone, Arc trooper or commando…it doesn't matter. You're all brothers and we watch each other's backs out there. Take that to heart." Will said before remembering something that helps illustrate his point. _"Ba'ju, Beskar'gam. Ara'nov, Aliit. Mando'a bal Manda'alo—An Vencuyan Mhi."_

Echo, Hevy, Fives, 99, and Master Shaak Ti looked at Will speaking an alien language that none of them understood. "What does that mean?" 99 asked.

"Growing up, my mother taught me the history of my people and various codes of honor that our people followed. That was a rhyme I learned as a child to help me remember. Education and armor, self-defense, our tribe, our language, our leader—all help us survive." Will told them. "The single relies on the whole and the whole relies on the single. Forget ego or special treatment."

"Yes sir." They replied.

"You've got a bit of a philosopher in you, don't you sir?" Fives asked making Will chuckle.

"Maybe when the war is over, I'll retire to a life of philosophy." He joked as they watched the training. "Master Shaak Ti where did you learn that Mandalorian proverb?"

"From the trainers down there. Several of the trainers are Mandalorian." She told him.

"Really? Well, this is something I need to see for myself." Will said making his way down there with the clones following him.

Down in the training area, the clone commandos of Omega squad moved from cover to cover as they pressed their attack to get to their objective. Several blocks and pillars were arranged to give the area a similar layout to a city or populated landscape that they would likely end up on missions. Two of the clones were firing at the droids with their DC-17M Interchangeable Weapon System blasters in blaster mode, laying down heavy suppressive fire which allowed the other two to move up on the left and right side. The commando on the left switched his DC-17M to its anti-armor setting and fired a grenade round that blew the large spider droid in half and took out the rest of the droids. With them out of commission, the fourth commando leapt out of cover and rushed forward to his target which was a podium signifying a Separatist terminal with important information. He used a data pad and began downloading all the information he could before quickly turning around and using his DC-15s side arm and blasted a commando droid in the face. A second droid came at him from the side, but the commando quickly kicked out its leg and stabbed it into the head with his knuckle plated vibro-blade.

The data pad beeped indicated the transfer was complete, so the commando retrieved it and walked back over to his team but not before giving the spider droid one last blaster bolt to the head to make sure it was dead. A siren was heard indicating the test was complete.

"Not bad, boys. Atin, remember to triple check your sectors before you move into an area like that." Their trainer told them. He was an older gentleman with flecks of grey in his hair but that didn't mean much as he was just as spry and capable as when he was in his prime. He was wearing sand/gold colored Mandalorian Beskar armor along with his gauntlets with a WESTAR-34 blaster pistol holstered around his leg. This was Kal Skirata, one of the _Cuy'val Dar_ and trainer of Omega squad and adopted father or Kal'Buir to the clones. **(1)**

"Roger that." The clone replied when he saw someone enter the area. "Looks like we got a trespasser."

Kal turned and saw a young one enters the training area followed by three clones. Kal was about to usher him away when he noticed the unique shriek-hawk necklace and his familiar looking gauntlets.

"Sorry to interrupt but I saw the training and wanted to get a closer look." Will said before looking at Kal and noticing his Mandalorian Beskar and gauntlets. He was Mandalorian. "Pleasure to meet you in the flesh, _al'verde."_ (Commander)

"You are Mandalorian." Kal said and Will nodded. "What clan are you from?"

"I am Will of Clan Vizsla. Son of Pio Vizsla, my mother." Will introduced himself.

"I am unfamiliar with the name." Kal told him. "Why are you here and how did you come to be with the Jedi of all people?"

"The civil war." Will told him and Kal understood. "My mother fought against the rising pacifist regime up until she gave birth to me."

"Ha, she sounds like a mighty warrior." Kal said.

"She was." Will replied with a fond smile. "When the war was closing to an end, the warrior clans were being exiled to Concordia to live on the mining moon. She didn't want that for me and fled for Coruscant. There she raised me as she was…as a warrior. I trained to fight since I could crawl and learned our history and language when I could talk."

"Yet how does a Mandalorian find himself in service to the Jedi of all people?" Kal questioned.

"After an act to protect those from men who had no honor." Will replied. "Criminals attacking those who couldn't defend themselves. I sought to help them, and I did but with the aid of Master Rahm Kota. He saw me and the potential I had and brought me to the temple."

"What did your mother think of this?" Kal asked.

"She passed away shortly before that happened." Will explained. "Despite being a Padawan I have not forgotten the ways of a Mandalorian…merely adjusted them."

"Then prove it." Kal told him. He was glad to meet another Mandalorian but was a little dubious as to if this young one could really be called one. He was in a similar state being a _Cuy'val Dar_ to train the clones but a Mandalorian Jedi…he wasn't sure. "Run this course on your own and show me that you really are a Mandalorian."

"Fine by me. I could use the exercise." Will said with a smirk. Kal admired the young one's tenacity and confidence.

"Omega Squad, let's take a break." Kal led them out of the training area while Echo, Fives, and Hevy looked at Will.

"Sir, are you sure about this?" Echo asked.

"I am, Echo. Don't worry. Go with them. I can handle it. This is something that I need to prove." Will assured them and they did as they were told.

Kal Skirata, Omega squad and the other clones walked onto the observation platform with Master Shaak Ti. "Master Jedi." Kal nodded his head and she nodded back.

"Sergeant Skirata." She greeted back.

Kal pressed a few buttons on the command table. "Activate Precipice challenge." The training arena began to morph into the terrain of a droid factory. "The challenge of this test is simple, Young one. Get to the terminal at the other end of the area, download the data and get back. The test begins when you take your first steps."

"Roger that." Will gave him a mock salute and started making his way towards the other end.

"We'll see just how good your Jedi is now." One of the commandos said. "This is the hardest test there is."

"Doesn't seem that hard." Hevy commented.

"It is. This test is designed with failure in mind. It only gets harder and harder every step of the way. It's to test how well my commandos do when things don't work out as planned and have to adapt to the situation." Kal informed them.

"Then nothing to worry about. If anyone can adapt to a situation it's the commander." Fives added.

Will began making his way through the training area and saw the terminal only for a large wall to appear in his way and several platforms rise from the ground to reveal small groups of battle droids. They opened fire at him, so he dove behind cover.

"Not much of a Jedi to hide." Kal commented only to see Will throw his saber out from cover. It spun through the air like a buzz saw and sliced through droids with ease while he raced out from the other side. The droids fired at him, but he moved too quickly to get hit. He fired his grappled cable at the legs of one of the droids before flipping through the air and yanking hard. His harsh tug pulled the droid into the others, sending them clattering onto the ground in a helpless pile. His saber returned to his hand as he landed on the ground and slashed all the droids in the helpless pile into pieces. Once they were dealt with, he fired his cable up the wall and proceeded to climb.

"See, told you so." Fives said.

"That was only the first part." Kal told him, seeing the young Mandalorian climb over the wall only to stop when several laser grid traps on the ground were triggered. If any of the lasers were touched, then something bad would happen and to make matters worse floating platforms activated with small contingents of droids on them. He blocked and deflected blaster fire before running along the top of the wall and force jumping high in to the air. He force pushed the droids off one platform and they all fell onto the laser grid where they were electrocuted. He landed on the platform and was once again targeted by the droids but deflected their blasters with his saber.

"The kid's stuck." One of the commandos said only for Will throw his saber at the ceiling and slice a cable loose. The droids continued firing but Will activated his gauntlets shield projector to shield him. Once the time was right, he leapt forward and grabbed the cable, using it to swing forward. During his swing, he fired his wrist rocket and blew up the platform and the droids before flipping high into the air and firing his grapple line at the third and final platform. He swung through the air and landed by the terminal before firing his last rocket and blowing up the third platform.

"All right, not bad." Kal commented. Will retracted his cable and holstered his saber before making his over to the terminal and accessing it, mocking like he was downloading the data. As he was doing this, a stealth commando droid slowly and quietly made its way behind him with a vibro-blade. Will kept working at the terminal before quickly moving his head to the side to avoid the blade. He grabbed the droid's arm and brought it down on his shoulder, dislocating the joint before taking the blade and stabbing it into the weak point under the arm. That blade stab short-circuited the droid's central processor. Two more droids attacked him from both sides so Will threw the dead droid at one to focus on the other. It lunged forward so he quickly leaned back to avoid the droid's attack before spinning on his knees and slicing the droid's leg and then ripped its head off. The last droid aimed it blaster only for Will to throw the vibro-blade through its faceplate.

The last droid was dealt with as the terminal beeped, indicating the information had been downloaded. "Ha, told you the commander could do it." Hevy told him.

"Now comes the hard part." Kal said, pressing a few buttons on a command prompt.

An alarm sounded, indicating that the system picked up an intruder and all droids would be on alert. Platforms rose out of the ground with squads of droids, so he needed to move fast and smart and since he was going to be surrounded, he knew just what to do. He jumped high into the air, evading droid fire and landed right in the middle before unleashing a force repulse wave that rendered all the droids into scrap metal.

"Never seen a Jedi do that." A commando commented.

The way back to the starting point was now arranged to look like a narrow corridor with a whole battalion of droids in the way. Will took a deep breath and cracked his neck before holding his saber in front of him. "Shall we?"

The droids opened fire so he blocked and deflected as many as he could. He quickly backflipped behind the terminal for cover before closing his eyes and concentrated.

"Guess the young one met his match." Kal said only to see a super battle droid float above the others. They all looked and saw that Will was using the force to lift it into the air and move it in front of the droid column: partly as a shield and partly to whittle away at their numbers. The super battle droid's wrist mounted blaster managed to blast apart several battle droids before it was blasted and shut down so Will threw it into droid column before rushing out saber first. He blocked a few blasters and channeled the force into his body to increase his speed, agility, and reaction time. He slid forward, slicing the legs off several droids before moving into a gainer flip. He kicked and sliced droids in a myriad of precise movements and attacks that looked effortless. Will was in his element.

Kal watched with rapt attention as he saw the kid move with quick and deadly precision as he took down droid after droid. Having seen firsthand how the Jedi fight from his own experience and from Master Shaak Ti, Will was different. Even just by seeing him fight he could see that. His movement and attacks were a clear indicator of the tutelage by someone trained in their ways. He was also well versed in his gauntlets and how to use them well.

"Well would you look at that." A commando commented as he saw Will vault off a wall and sliced three droids in half before rolling and attacking their legs. The young Mandalorian used his flamethrower to distract some super battle droids so he could attack another group before activating his forearm blades and slicing through the weak joints in a droid's neck. "Looks like the kid might make it."

Will brought his saber into a windmill motion, slicing through several droids at once when he saw there were more coming. He levitated all the broken and destroyed droid parts before throwing them at the rest with accelerated speed, so they did more damage and smashed through them with ease. He followed that up with a concentrated force push wave that barreled through any remaining droids and crushed them like paper. With those droids out of the way, he holstered his saber and walked over to his starting position to end the exercise only for two super battle droids to rise from the ground and hold their blasters at him.

**_"_****_Surrender, Jedi."_** The droid said as Will looked at the two droids, one on his left and one on his right. "**_It's over."_**

"Who am I to argue? I surrender." Will told them.

**_"_****_Hand over your weapon."_** One of the droids ordered.

"Sure thing. Catch!" Will tossed it high into the air. The droids looked up which was their undoing as it gave Will the chance to act. He channeled the force into his right hand and punched straight through the droid to his left, going through its face plate and out the back. The other droid turned to aim only for Will's saber to activate and fall to the ground quickly, slicing the droid and landing in his hand. Will slashed it one more time to be sure before deactivating it and standing on the spot he started on, finishing the exercise.

"Ha, knew he could do it." Hevy said. "Never doubted him for a second."

"Yeah, right." Fives joked as the three rushed down to go see him.

"Very, very impressive." Shaak Ti commented before following them.

"What do you think, sir?" One of his clones asked Kal.

"I think that the kid is unlike any Mandalorian I've met. Tarre Vizsla come back to life. He could do great things with the right teachings…but where he stands on our warrior codes is another matter. I'm curious how peacekeepers have affected his thoughts on the Canons of Honor, Resol'nare, and the Supercommando Codex." Kal commented before he and his clones left.

Will took a few breaths and slumped a bit to recover from the intense training. Challenging…but not impossible. "Well done, sir." Hevy said as he, Echo, Fives, 99, and Master Shaak Ti walked over to him.

"Thanks, Hevy. That was definitely challenging." Will said, taking one more deep breath before he managed to stand up straight. "I wouldn't recommend doing that without some backup."

"Still, you performed very well for a Padawan, Young Vizsla. That is the hardest test among the special forces branch and you did it on your own. Your training has served you well." She complemented him. "Learn from Master Kenobi and never stray from the path…and a bright future is ahead of you. Perhaps you will be anointed a Jedi Knight in a few years."

"One can only hope." Will said when his comm link went off. "Yes, Master."

_"__Will, we're nearly finished loading up the ship. Please return to the loading dock."_ Obi-wan told him.

"Roger that. We're on our way." Will replied. "Guess the tour's over. Let's head back."

"I shall accompany you." Master Shaak Ti told them.

"It was nice to meet you, 99. Hopefully we'll meet again." Will shook his hand and the clone smiled.

"Take care, brother." Hevy bid him farewell as they made their way back to the loading docks.

Obi-wan was talking with Cody as the last of the supplies and new troops were being loaded onto the _Negotiator_. Repaired walker tanks made their way up the ramp and into the hangar part of the ship while troopers helped with ammunition, weapons, and other supplies like food and medicine. Will and his squad walked into the cargo area and helped the rest of the troops move the remaining supplies onto the ship. Will and Shaak Ti used the force to lift some large crates from the cargo area.

"So, I hope your little trip on Kamino was fun?" Obi-wan asked, walking up to his Padawan.

"It was. Both informative and I got a workout as well." Will replied. "I ran into the Mandalorian training the Special forces."

"Really? Another of your people is here training them?" Obi-wan was not expecting to hear that. Will being a Mandalorian was a little difference since he was a Jedi Padawan but first Jango Fett and now another one. He had to wonder if something else going on with Kamino.

"Yes, but don't worry about anything, Master Kenobi." Shaak Ti assured him. "I've learned from the prime minister that as part of their contract, they have renounced all ties to their home world and affiliation in any political or military matter. They work for the Republic and are known as the _Cuy'val Dar."_

"What does that mean?" Obi-wan was unfamiliar with the word.

_"__Cuy'val Dar_ is Mando'a. It means those who no longer exist. I'm guessing they're named that to signify that who they were before isn't who they are now." Will suggested.

"Rest assured, Master Kenobi all the _Cuy'val Dar_ are prioritized with is training the clones." Master Shaak Ti said. "The former Mandalorians have trained our finest Arc troopers and commandos."

"Yeah. I saw Omega squad in action. They're good." Will added.

"Well, the way the war is going something tells me we'll work with them eventually. Will, help get the last of the supplies on board." Obi-wan said.

"Yes, Master." Will led Fives, Echo, and Hevy to finish the task.

"Your Padawan is very well trained. His skills in combat are something I've only seen with experienced Jedi knights." Shaak Ti told him. "He has tremendous potential…yet there is still a lot unknown about his future."

"I agree. Master Yoda says his future is clouded but I will do my best to guide him as best as I can." Obi-wan replied.

"Master Jedi…a moment." They heard as Kal Skirata walked up to them, decked out in his sand-colored Mandalorian armor. With him was another Mandalorian dressed in black-colored armor. This was Walon Vau, another of the _Cuy'val Dar_ and trainer of the Delta Squad commandos. With them were Delta and Omega squad along with two Null-class Arc troopers Ordo and Mereel.

"Is there something we can help you with?" Obi-wan asked.

"You're heading back to Coruscant and we'd like to hitch a ride with you." Kal told him as Obi-wan and Shaak Ti shared a look.

Will walked down the ramp and over to his master. "We've finished loading up the last of the supplies." He said when he saw Kal and the others. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is we're not done yet, kid." Kal told him.

Line Break xxxxx

Obi-wan allowed Kal and his group onto the star destroyer for the trip back to Coruscant. Kal told him that they had a mission on the planet and since they were heading there anyways, he wanted to catch a ride. The Jedi master figured there was more to this and he was right…Kal did have an ulterior motive. He wanted to know more about Will.

Speaking of Will, he was walking through the ship until he found Kal and his group hanging around in the flight bay. He and his clones were talking and hanging out while preparing their gear for whatever mission they had. Kal joked with his commandos when he saw Will. "There's the young one. Glad you found me. I was hoping to talk to you."

"Really? Because I kind of got the feeling before that you wanted nothing to do with me." Will said.

"You'll have to forgive me on that. Seeing another Mandalorian but with the Jedi was a little disconcerting." Kal replied, gesturing Will to sit down across from him. "Despite that, I can tell you were trained as a real Mandalorian. Your mother was a proud warrior and she taught you well."

"Thank you, Kal. And if the stories about the Commandos are any indicator than you're the one who deserves the praise." Will commented. "How did you come to train clones?"

"We were paid to. Walon and I, among others were drafted by Jango Fett to train the clone army. He had us forsake the people we were to train them in secrecy hence our title." Kal informed him.

"The Cuy'val Dar…those who no longer exist." Will said and Kal nodded. "If you've been on Kamino all this time I have to ask if you know what's going on with Mandalore."

"You mean that the planet is now ruled by someone who values peace and neutrality?" Kal asked, disgusted by the very thought. "I have my own thoughts on her. But what do you think?"

"Growing up the way I did…I understand both sides of the argument." Will said, intriguing Kal a little bit. "As a Jedi, we're taught to protect, and that peace is the better alternative so leading your people into a future where you don't have to worry about them getting drafted into a war or needless violence is understandable. But I'm Mandalorian and know that peace and neutrality and just words that most can toss out at a moment's notice. If she actually thinks she'll be able to survive the war with peace and neutrality…I have my doubts. Time will tell."

"And interesting philosophy and opinion." Kal commented.

"I'm young. Who knows how I'll think in a few years?" Will joked and Kal chuckled.

"You are unlike any Jedi I have met, and I mean that as a compliment in the best of ways." Kal said shaking his hand and pulling him to his feet. "Let me introduce you to the others. You already know Omega team."

"Sir!" They all stood up at attention.

"At ease, men. You can relax. I've never been one for formality unless necessary and considering I heard you call Kal _Kal'buir,_ you're Mandalorian by creed. This is the way." Will said as Kal, Omega and the others stood up and bowed their heads.

"This is the way." They repeated.

"So, who am I really meeting?" Will asked as the commandos and Arc troopers took their helmets off.

"I'm Niner, leader of Omega Squad. This is Darman our demo expert, Atin our tech guy and Fi our medic and sniper." Niner introduced him and his men who were wearing specialized black-colored Night Ops armor.

Delta squad stood up to reveal their unique and personalized suits of armor that he remembered seeing before. Boss, the leader wore white and orange armor and four circles on his chest plate, indicating his rank as leader while the others had two circles. Fixer was the second in command and tech expert, wearing white and green armor. Sev was the sniper of the group and wore white and red armor with a red handprint on his helmet. Scorch was the last member and explosive technician, wearing grey and orange armor.

"Delta squad, it's good to see you again." Will bowed his head and they did the same. Kal raised an eyebrow so he explained. "Delta squad came to my rescue in the Geonosian catacombs after Grievous ambushed me and my master. They managed to find me in time before he killed me as he did her."

"We're still sorry we never got a shot at the clanker Grievous." Boss said.

"Yeah. One shot at him with my gun and he'd be a pile of scrap by now." Scorch joked.

"Hopefully you'll get your chance." Will replied as two Arc troopers stood at attention. One was wearing red armor while the other was wearing blue armor. "Captain Fordo, Captain Mereel, good you see you two. Your reputations proceed you."

"Sir!" They saluted him.

"So, what business brings you and the special forces to Coruscant?" Will asked.

"Let me show you." Kal said as he, Niner, Fordo, and Boss moved to the main strategy room where Obi-wan was going to meet them to hear what was going on. "Over the past few months Omega team has been working on the trail of suspected Confederate terrorist activity. Their last mission involved work in the Corellian-Perlemian hyperspace intersection."

"That's the major hyperspace boarder to the systems. Pretty much every single freighter or ship comes through that area and Republic intelligence suspects that the Separatists have been using that area to move supplies under the radar on civilian ships. Those ships travel throughout the core systems." Will explained, drawing looks of shock by everyone who were curious how he knew that. He noticed the odd look his master was giving him. "I have to do something when we're not training or I'm tinkering. I pass the time reading republic reports."

"Hmm, a worthy use your time it seems." Obi-wan commented.

"The kid's right. Omega team was dispatched there to take care of some Separatists operatives and bombers." Kal said.

"Yeah, after we rescued their asses." Boss joked only for Niner to glare at him.

"Stow it, Boss. Anyway, the freighter that exploded originated from the same area but was double scanned before it left so it wasn't rigged near the intersection. The reports say that the freighter captain kept the Coruscant security force away when it landed because they had their own private security team on the planet meet them. They were busy for hours before the cargo was removed, and then the ship blew up. Coruscant Security Force took over the investigation, but those boys couldn't investigate themselves out of a paper bag. This is connected so we're taking it over. I already have a contact there who is going to help. A Hutt named Qibbu."

"I sure hope that favor is a good one. Qibbu isn't exactly known for being the most loyal associate." Will told him.

"How do you know that?" Boss asked.

"I grew up on Coruscant and my mom and I weren't well-off enough to live in the best area. I remember seeing him every now and then when my mom needed credits. She'd do odd jobs for him that no one else could do. She was his best mercenary, but he made my skin crawl." Will explained.

"Hutts tend to have that effect on people. But Qibbu has amassed enough money and influence to be just on the edge of legitimate that even Senators deal with him. He's gone his version of legitimate but still maintains ties to the criminal underworld for our mission. And his past dealing with the Trade Federation doesn't make him a fan of them or the Separatists. He'll help us." Kal explained before looking at Will. "You want to come along, kid?"

"Me?" Will asked as he and Obi-wan gave Kal some looks.

"You've proven you can handle yourself in combat and your familiarity with Coruscant could help. Besides, having a Jedi…even a Padawan could help if something goes wrong." Kal pointed out.

"I'm up for it. Master?" Will asked as Obi-wan thought it over.

"I'm not sure about this." Obi-wan said.

"Then come along. Two is better than one." Kal suggested. Obi-wan thought it over and while part of him would rather stay on the ship, this could prove to be a serious matter. If there was a Separatist cell working on Coruscant then it needed to be found. Obi-wan nodded, giving his response. "All right but find some different clothes. We'll stick out like sore thumbs even if you wear your robes."

"Fine by me." Will replied.

They eventually landed on planet and the _Negotiator_ parked itself into the holding area for all Republic star destroyers. Obi-wan spoke with Cody and had the men on standby in case something happened or if they were needed off world. He had dressed in regular clothes and looked like a refuge, similar to Anakin when he and Senator Amidala left for Naboo before the start of the war. Will on the other hand was wearing regular pants, a black shirt and blue jacket with his saber tucked inside for safe keeping. His padawan braid was tucked into his shirt and jacket so it didn't dangle, and he still had his gauntlets on, but they were covered up by the sleeves of his jacket. BD-8 was still perched up on his back. Will and his Master left with Kal and the clone squadron who were all wearing civilian clothes with their armor and weapons in bags and crates. Will also brought along Hevy, Fives, and Echo since they were part of his squad now and would be good experience for them to learn from the special forces.

They took a speeder and drove through the city before heading to the Uscru Entertainment district where Qibbu was located. Will felt a sense of nostalgia and happiness flood him as he witnessed his old home and all the memories. Old Mister Kaku who sold fruit on the corner or the trouble he and his friends would get in…those were good times. Kal parked the speeder in an alley near a six-story building. By the raucous sounds of laughter and clattering of drinks it was a cantina and the sign in the front read Qibbu's Hut. It was the Cantina and Hotel on the edge of the district near the Coruscant underworld. This must have worked for Qibbu's operations to be near the legitimate areas but close enough to the illegal ones. Kal got out and put a jacket on to cover up his armor.

"All right, Boss stay here and keep an eye out. The Jedi and I will talk to the Hutt. It shouldn't take too long." Kal said, making sure his WESTAR-34 blaster pistol was secured and ready for quick draw if necessary. "Don't draw attention to yourselves and if anything happens don't use your swords. We don't need the word spreading out you're around."

"Roger that." Will replied as Kal led him and Obi-wan into the cantina. It was deceptively larger on the inside then how the outside portrayed it to be. A large bar stretched the far wall where several droids made drinks and served customers under the watchful eye of a Rodian. Monitors were set up with various sporting events on display and that combined with various game tables made it a haven for gambling. "Well this place is…lively."

"Places like these attract plenty of people of the less than favorable variety." Obi-wan told him. "It's best to not linger in places like this unless you're looking for someone."

"And we are. Places like this are great for picking up intel. People always talk when they have a little Embrian ale in their system." Kal said, leading Will and Obi-wan over to the bar to speak to the Rodian. "Hey, I need to speak to Qibbu."

"Yeah, so would a lot of people. He's busy this time of night. He's got a lot of customers to help. Come back another time." The Rodian told him. Will saw Kal move his hand towards his blaster and decided to prevent a little scuffle.

"You will take us to see Qibbu." Will waved his hand and used the Jedi mind trick on the Rodian who stood up straight and adopted a blank expression.

"I will take you to see Qibbu."

Kal looked back at Will and smirked. "Guess being a Jedi has its perks, huh?"

"That it does." Obi-wan said as the Rodian led them across the bar over to the elevator that would take them up the floors of the Qibbu's Hut hotel to the top floor where the wealthy, fancy, and important guests stayed. They were led from the elevator down the hallways until they came to a door. They entered the room to see it was lavishly decorated and furnished like you would expect to find in a senator's personal quarters, not one belonging to a Hutt. They saw several guards of various species and even special assassin droids around with weapons guarding the blue and green skinned Hutt.

"Eno, who have you brought here when you know I'm relaxing." Qibbu said.

"Qibbu, it's me." Kal stepped forward as the guards put their hands on their guns in case something happened. "I'm here to call in a favor."

"Ah, Kal Skirata my favorite Mandalorian. You are always welcome. Please, come in." Qibbu said before signaling his men to leave. "So, how can I help you and the Republic?"

"I need your help. My group and I are after some Separatists operating here on Coruscant. We think they're behind the recent bombing at the ports." Kal told him.

"Ah, of course. Those nasty Separatists. And I'm always happy to help the Republic." Qibbu replied. "What will you need my friend?"

"Just a staging area and your influence in the underworld to make us look more appealing to them. Help us with that and I'll consider the debt to me paid in full." Kal offered.

"Who am I to refuse such a generous offer and whatever I can do to help the Republic I will do…especially if it helps pay off my debt. I'll have my second come and assist you. She'll take care of everything you need for your mission" Qibbu pressed a button on his intercom which signaled his second.

"She?" Obi-wan asked.

"Oh yes. Valkyrie is the best operative I've ever had. A lot of my business opportunities are thanks to her cunning mind. She will be able to help you with anything you need." Qibbu said.

"Sounds impressive." Will commented as the door opened and in walked a 16-year old girl. She was wearing black boots, a black and white stylized long skirt, a red long sleeve shirt with a black fold over the heart, a fur-lined black flight jacket and her hair was done in a bob style. She had two black bracelets on one wrist with a communicator band on the other. (**2)**

"She is." The girl replied as they turned, and Will was a bit shell-shocked to see who it was. She smiled at Will and it honestly felt like he had time traveled to his past. "It's good to see you, Will."

"Qi'ra?" Will honestly couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Line Break xxxxx

Qibbu gave Kal and his group the top suite in his hotel for their operation house to stow all their gear and from where they could operate out of. Kal and Obi-wan made sure everything was in place with their gear and already set out two-man teams to scan the sky lanes for anything suspicious while Qibbu had some associates dig up any dirt from the club that could help. That left Will to catch up with his old childhood friend who had somehow become the number 2 to a Hutt's illegal and legal business dealings.

Once they were clear of any prying eyes, he brought her into a tight hug. Qi'ra chuckled and hugged him back with equal affection. They looked at one another and couldn't believe they were there. "I cannot believe we meet again like this. This was not how I was expecting us to meet up again."

"Oh, so you have thought of me?" She asked, chuckling a little bit as the two walked through the top floor of building.

"Of course. Just because I was training at the temple doesn't mean I'd forget my oldest friend." He told her.

"Well then it's a good thing I haven't forgotten you." Qi'ra gave him a look to see the young boy she grew up with as a Jedi Padawan. "You look good. Although I'm not too sure about the braid."

"Yeah, I'm not feeling it as well but what can I do. You look like you're doing great as well." He replied. "How did you come to work for Qibbu? Weren't you the one who said he stank like a sarlac pit?"

"I did and the point still stands but a girl has to make her way in the world. Not all of us were picked up by the Jedi." She said.

"Fair enough." Will looked her over and she looked good. Not just aesthetically but she had this aura of confidence and intelligence beyond her years. Clearly a lot has changed since they were kids. "So, how did you end up working for Qibbu?"

"I had some skills and knowledge that he found useful. Skills your mother taught me as we grew up together." Qi'ra said, remembering the fond memories of their childhood. Her parents died when she was a baby leaving her orphaned only for Will and his mother to look out for her after that. She looked out for Qi'ra, taught her and Will to fight and things were good until she passed away when they were 8. After that, it was just Will and Qi'ra for almost a year. They survived on their own with their wits and street smarts until some gang members tried to hurt Mr. Kaku, the friendly storeowner who looked out for them. That was the day Will used his force abilities and Master Kota found them. He took Will to the temple while dropping Qi'ra off at an orphanage. "I miss her."

"So, do I. But I think she'd be proud if she could see us right now." Will said.

"Are you sure? You, probably but I'm working for someone who isn't looked that favorably by many." Qi'ra pointed out.

"Well, I'm a Mandalorian who joined the order his ancestors fought against for years. The future has a way of circumventing our expectations, but I think if she saw us now, she'd be proud of the people we've turned into. She taught us to be strong and never let whatever opportunity pass us by. The strong part was the Mandalorian in her, but the other part was her being a mother." Will smiled and she smiled as well. "I believe she would be happy to see us."

"You always do know what to say." Qi'ra replied.

"It's a gift." Will joked. "So, how did you rise up the ranks in Qibbu's group so quickly?"

"Well, knowing to fight was a plus. I'm not someone who needs protecting. And growing up on the streets provided me with unique insights into the less than polite parts of the community. Qibbu valued my information. Plus, I'm the last person you would expect to swipe information." Qi'ra told him. "I rose up through the ranks rather quickly soon after. And helped Qibbu move some of his dealings into the more…legitimate areas."

"Interesting. Guess both our lives have gone in interesting directions. Never did I think we'd end up meeting like this." Will said.

"Never did I expect to see you leading a Republic Special Forces squad. Aren't the Jedi supposed to be diplomats and keepers of the peace?" Qi'ra questioned.

"We are but we've been warriors and generals in the past. The Jedi established the Army of Light during the old Republic to fight against the New Sith Empire centuries ago. Granted that was disbanded after the Ruusan Reformations and had its downsides but we were warriors and generals back then. That's just a part of history most people don't remember." Will replied. "Unfortunately, you're right. Peacekeepers and diplomats don't exactly make the best generals and soldiers in a war but I'm not a Jedi yet, I'm a Padawan."

"Will." They heard and Boss had stepped out to get them. "They're ready for us."

"Right." The two make their way back to the suite which had easily been converted into an ops center for their mission with weapons and holo-tables ready for their use.

"Glad you could join us, kid." Skirata said.

"Well, you looked like you had it handled and I didn't want to get in the way." Will replied. "Old friends had some catching up to do anyway. So, what's next?"

"I've already got a team out there scanning the skylanes for any potential bogies or suspected Separatists sympathizers. While they do that, we need to draw out the terrorists and that's where Qi'ra and Qibbu come in. With their help, we'll be more convincing as gunrunners who are looking to offload some explosives. A lot of explosives." Skirata informed them.

"Something that this Separatist faction would be looking to buy for their plans. Clever." Obi-wan commented.

"And we'll be even more appealing since Omega team's last mission took out the main suppliers of explosives in the Corellian sector. If this group is looking to do more damage, then we'll be able to supply them with the explosives they need. Once they take the bait, we tag them with tracking dust and go from there." Skirata told them. "Kid, take your squad and go help the recon teams. Your Jedi tricks might be able to help them find our targets and you'll learn a few things but stay stealthy. Master Jedi, you're gonna be with us posing as the arm smugglers in case something goes wrong."

"Roger that. Fives, Echo, Hevy, let's go." Will led them out to join the recon team, quickly getting into the role he was tasked with. Obi-wan watched his apprentice leave and was a tad bit concerned how easily his Padawan was adapting to the military aspect of all of this.

"Let's go, Master Jedi. Time to be the bad guys to catch the bad guys." Kal led him and the others through the plan.

Will, Hevy, Echo, and Fives met one of the recon teams on the roof of Qibbu's establishment. It was Sev of Delta Squad and Fi of Omega squad. They were manning their sniper rifles to watch over the skylanes all around them and checking their sensors for anything.

"Fi, Sev, anything yet?" Will wondered.

"Nothing yet. Sensors picked up a slight uptick in radiation but it was a faulty engine in a speeder." Sev explained.

"Echo, get on the scanner and help them out." Will told him.

"Roger that." Echo got on the scanner and watched over the data of all nearby speeders to pick up for any kind of radiation signature that indicated exposure to explosives.

Will's communicator beeped so he answered it. "Hello?"

_"__Will, it's me. We're about to head out but I've got a piece of useful intel. I have an associate with the GAR logistics, and he says he noted that a small shipment of explosives was misplaced when he reviewed the requisition documents. He even gave me a name for worker who handed in the paperwork. Vinna Jes. She works in the requisition office and could make things disappear if she's careful enough. She just didn't plan on the review. She lives in the Collective Commerce District. Sounds like someone who could be working for the Separatists if not at least have valuable information."_ Qi'ra informed him.

"Thanks, Qi'ra. And keep an eye out for my master." He told her.

_"__I will."_ She replied before ending the transmission.

"Fi, Sev, what do you think? Sounds like a good lead." Will suggested.

"Yeah. All right, I'll let Scorch know we're going to check it out." Sev told him as they packed up their gear and left. They got a speeder and made their way over to the commerce district. Luckily Fi, Sev, Hevy, Echo, and Fives blended in as a lot of other clones were on leave so they didn't draw a lot of attention. With Qi'ra's intel, they found Vinna Jes's apartment so Fi and Sev were on nearby rooftops to provide sniper cover and recon while Will and the others were stationed on the ground. Echo's scanner did pick up high radiation levels common with Baradium bombs which meant they were on the right track.

Echo, Fives, and Hevy were huddled together at a restaurant like they were hanging out on leave while Will sat at a table eating some food. Fi managed to spot Vinna in her apartment and it seemed like she was ready to leave somewhere so the second she left he would follow. Fi noticed a male Falleen walk over to the apartment and stop outside before pulling out a communicator.

"Commander, I think we got something. Check out the Falleen by the building entrance." Fi said, noticing that when he pulled out his communicator Vinna walked out of her apartment. "I think this is it."

Will glanced over and saw the male Falleen in smuggler clothes. The Falleen were a reptomammalian species with green skin from the planet Falleen. Will closed his eyes and concentrated and could detect hints of anxiety nervousness. Vinna Jiss then walked out of the building and met with the Falleen and the two discuss something and based on their body language it seemed to be something important. Will focused again and could pick up new feelings of anxiety, secrecy, and urgency.

"Echo, are you picking up anything?" Will asked, tapping his ear comm.

"Yeah, the scanner's picking up a stronger source of Baradium radiation when she stepped out. It's her." Echo replied, subtly glancing down at the scanner in his hands.

"Ok, what's the plan?" Hevy asked.

"If she has the explosives then he's likely here to pick them up. We follow them, get the explosives, and subdue them. Fi, Sev, switch to stun mode. We need intel." Will told them.

"Roger that." They replied.

"Hevy, Echo, Fives, flank around and maneuver from the side. I'll follow them directly." Will ordered as Vinna Jiss and the Falleen began moving. He got up and followed them discretely.

Every now and then, Vinna or the Falleen would turn around to make sure they weren't being followed and Will expertly hid from sight. After about five minutes of lengthy walking through some alleyways they arrived at an old storage garage where the Falleen contacted someone on his communicator. Soon enough a small speeder arrived with another Falleen in the driver seat, probably his associate.

"Here you go. A hundred pounds of Baradium explosives with a detonator." Vinna told him.

"Nicely done." The Falleen said, looking over the explosive as his associate began loading them into the speeder. He then handed Vinna a large bag of credits. "Your payment.

"So that's the price of supplying Separatists with explosive…a handful of credits." They heard as Will stepped into view. "Not exactly a good reason for that."

"You stepped into the wrong alley, friend." The Falleen drew a blaster at him only for a blaster bolt to hit the Falleen in the chest and stun him to the ground. Hevy came up from behind and took out the other Falleen while another stun bolt hit Vinna.

"Nicely done, fellows." Will said over the comm. "Let's get these guys back to base."

They contacted Coruscant Security Force and several officers arrived to secure the stolen explosives while they took Vinna and the two Falleens back to Qibbu for interrogation. The two Falleen were in separate rooms and being interrogated by Walon Vau. It would have been Kal, but he and the others left for their part of the mission. Will sat across from Vinna who was tied to a chair with Hevy, Echo, Fives, Fi, Sev, and Captain Ordo.

"Hard to believe we'd have a traitor in the GAR logistics. There's one thing I can't stand and that's traitors." Captain Ordo said in disgust only for Vinna to keep her mouth shut. "Who were you supplying the explosives too?"

Vinna was tight lipped and didn't say anything. "Our brother asked you a question." Sev told her.

"I'm not talking to clones. Nothing you can do will make me say anything." Vinna told them.

"Is that how you really want to do this? You're willing to die to protect the Separatists?" Fi asked only for her to keep her mouth shut. "Fine by me. Let's make her talk."

Fi pulled out his DC-15s blaster pistol but Will stopped him from pulling the trigger. "That won't be necessary, Fi. She'll talk."

"Go to hell." She told him only for Will to close his eyes and hold his hand towards her head. Vinna was confused when she began to feel a pull in her head like something was probing for information.

"You will tell me what I want to know." He told her, using the Jedi mind trick and she soon adopted a blank face.

"I will tell you what you want to know." She replied.

"That feels a little like cheating." Fi joked only for Will to give him a look.

"So, you don't want to know what she knows?" Will questioned.

The clones shared a look before they shrugged their shoulders and Vinna spilled intel.

With Qibbu and Qi'ra's help, subtle word had already begun to spread out among the criminal underworld that there was some new product that the Hutts smuggled onto Coruscant. Guns, explosives and things of that nature. They just needed for someone to take the bait and Qibbu got several requests for a meet but they were the regular criminals or associates. Luckily with the information Will got Vinna to spill they learned that the Falleen separatists were working for a larger group on the planet. They didn't know much except for the leaders' name, Perrive. That along with Vinna wasn't the only one supplying weapons to the group but she didn't know who. They had some moles in the GAR so Captain Ordo went undercover into the logistics department to see what he could dig up. Soon enough a Perrive requested a meeting about buying some explosives so Qibbu set up a meet between him and Kal who would go to the meet with a team.

They met at a nearby warehouse that Qibbu owned which was acting as a middle ground for the transaction. It was Kal and Obi-wan dressed up as gunrunners along with Boss and Niner who were wearing mercenary armor and helmets to cover up they were clones. Qi'ra was there to do her job as a liaison between Qibbu and the gunrunners. Soon enough six people arrived for the meeting. They were a mixed group of three humans, a Rodian, and two Trandoshans, all armed. The trigger happy Trandoshans were a little antsy but the lead human signaled them to stand down.

"Valkyrie?" The lead human asked as Qi'ra stepped forward. "I'm Perrive. I'm here about what you have to offer."

"Very good." Qi'ra turned to Kal who nodded. Perrive was the one they were looking for. "May I introduce Galard, member of the Pyke Syndicate. He has provided Qibbu with his more…powerful armaments."

"Anything you fellows need that goes boom we can provide." Kal signaled Boss and Niner who brought over a container that held everything from blaster pistols to heavy rotary blasters and rocket launchers. Of course, they were the weapons that Kal brought but they didn't need to know that.

"Nice selection. We're actually looking for something that goes more…boom." Perrive told him.

"Explosives. That we can do." Obi-wan said, bringing over another container and opening it to reveal small various bomb charges in rows. A tasting menu of explosives if you will. "Anything that goes boom we can provide."

"It's a small taste. My personal favorites are the thermix charges and the alpha charges." Kal suggested, acting like a salesman.

"Do you have anything in a…larger quantity?" Perrive asked.

"We can arrange that, but it'll take some time to procure it." Obi-wan told him.

"How long?" The Rodian asked.

"Depends on how much you need." Kal pointed out as Perrive handed him a piece of paper with the amount they needed. "This much? To get it past all the clones and security customs…two days at least. I hope you're ready to pay because it's not going to be cheap."

"Money isn't an issue." Perrive informed him.

"All right. Once Galard and his associates get the explosives, I'll contact you and we'll set up a time and place for the exchange." Qi'ra informed him and Perrive nodded. "Till then, gentlemen."

Perrive and his men soon left the warehouse, so Boss tapped his ear comm. "Scorch, they're coming out now."

"Roger that." Scorch was waiting for them with a Verpine sniper rife loaded with a special micro-sensor tagging nicknamed _Dust_. Scorch fired a collection above the door so when Perrive and his men left the warehouse they walked right through it. He checked his scanner and the _Dust_ particles were tagged onto Perrive and his men. "I got them. _Dust_ is giving a clear signal."

"Nicely done, Scorch. Let's see where they lead us." Kal said as they cleaned up and headed back to Qibbu's.

They returned to their base where Will and the others were digging up some new information. "How did it go?" Will asked.

"Your intel paid off. It was Perrive. So, we've got the leader of the Separatist ring in the city and give of his associates. They're tagged so everywhere they go we'll know. Once we get enough information, we take them down." Kal told them all. "Not bad today, Master Jedi. You played your part."

"Well, I've always wanted to go undercover as a gunrunner." Obi-wan joked.

"Keep the cover. It could come in handy in the future." Will replied.

"So, what did you find on your end?" Kal asked.

"With what we got from Vinna, we're going over all her records to figure out who else she's been in contact with besides the two Falleen Separatists and Perrive. We're also trying to figure out who is helping her. That's where Captain Ordo went. He's gone undercover in the GAR logistics department to see what else he can figure out." Will told him.

"Nice work, kid." Kal pat him on the shoulder and let him get back to work which he did. He, Echo, Fives, and Hevy were going over data to find anything useful. Obi-wan looked at his padawan in concern…this was far from a Jedi mission.

Line Break xxxxx

Captain Ordo learned a lot when he went under cover with the GAR logistics division. He not only managed to recover all Vinna's files and call logs, but it turns out she was being investigated by one of the supervisors of the logistics division. Turns out Vinna Jiss wasn't exactly the best employee and was being investigated before termination would be decided. Guess they didn't need to worry about that. Ordo managed to find the other moles in the logistics division that were helping Vinna with the Separatists. Ordo led a team that killed one of the moles while Boss and Niner led another mission to capture the other. Despite the Separatists moles being taken out, Perrive didn't seem to think anything was out of order. Kal Skirata talked to the leader and set up a date for the explosives exchange and once that was done, they would follow them back to their hideout and take them all out together.

Obi-wan kept in contact with the council and informed them of their progress, as was his job as a high-ranking member of the Jedi Order. But he kept his personal reservations to himself at the moment. Those reservations were about his Padawan. They had been on mission for the past three days and he was honestly a little concerned about how well Will acclimated to Skirata's command and his role in this operation. He was starting to act less like a padawan and more like a soldier. How quickly he got acclimated to all of this was a concern. Now it could just be his overprotective side showing and be nothing but…it was honestly like looking into his past when he was training Anakin. As great as Anakin has become…there have been times when his skill or his attitude was of great concern.

Obi-wan decided to talk to his Padawan about his growing concerns and found him with Fives, Echo, Hevy, and Qi'ra in one of the spare rooms. He seemed to be doing something.

"General." Fives, Echo, Hevy, and Will stood up.

"At ease, men." Obi-wan said as they all sat down so they could continue working on their project which had something to do with the clones' armor. "What are you doing?"

"Making some improvements. BD-8 scanned the clone commandoes' armor and after what happened on the Rishi outpost, I got hit with an idea about some improvements. Qi'ra knows some people at the Republic recycling plant and they set aside ten commando droids they were going to scrap." Will said, pointing to one of the droid's heads that was put in a pile in a corner. "I saw these things in action and they're a lot better than the typical battle droids. Fast, maneuverable, smart, and their armor is a lot tougher."

"That's for sure. Took at least eight blasts for one of these things to go down." Hevy commented, kicking one of the disabled droids.

"It's because of their unique armor. Whatever it is, it's a lot more durable than a regular battle droid but a third the weight which allows them to move like we saw. I figured we could analyze the metal, melt it down, and add it in as an extra lining into the clone's armor to give them better protection. If I have the right tools, it shouldn't be that hard." Will explained. "Feels like a shame to get rid of good tech like this."

"Impressive deduction. Would you mind if my Padawan and I talked in private for a moment?" Obi-wan asked them.

"Yes, sir." The clones replied as they got up and left.

"I'll let you two talk and get some food. I'll set some aside for the two of you." Qi'ra said as she left as well. Will put his tools down and stood up.

"Is there something wrong, Master?" Will wondered.

"I just wanted a moment to talk to you in private. With everything going on I don't believe I've done a lot as your master." Obi-wan commented.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Our training sessions are always enjoyable. I've gotten considerably better in form three Soresu since I've become your padawan." Will replied. "And I think we've had our fair share of success so far."

"It's nice to see that your personality hasn't changed that much." Obi-wan said with a chuckle. "With everything that has gone on, I was a tad bit concerned on how it would affect you."

"Oh, well I think I've done well considering the circumstances. I'm young but I've gotten the hang of everything pretty quickly." Will told him.

"That's what concerns me. I see how you are with the others on this mission and it wouldn't baffle me to say that you act almost like a soldier." Obi-wan told him.

"Or a Mandalorian?" Will corrected him. "I suppose it has been pretty easy for me to acclimate to all of this. I guess since I was raised differently and joined the order at a different age that it makes it easier for me to act less like a Jedi when the situation calls for it. And that concerns you?"

"A little. The path of the Jedi is one of a particular nature and straying from it can lead to temptation to the dark side. In times like these, that's more prevalent then ever. Your Mandalorian nature and background is something that has been helpful so far but is also an attachment outside the order. If the time comes that you wish to ascend in the order, then those attachments cannot linger." Obi-wan pointed out.

"You mean that if I want to eventually become a knight then I'll have to forsake a part of who I am?" Will questioned and Obi-wan gave a reluctant nod.

"I understand how this must sound but it is a decision that you will need to face. I'll do my best to guide you on the path but it's ultimately one you will need to carve for yourself." Obi-wan said. "I only wished to discuss this with you."

"I understand, master…but I honestly can't give you an answer to that." Will answered and Obi-wan nodded.

"I understand but it is something you must think about." Obi-wan said.

"Yes, Master." Will replied when Hevy came back.

"General, Commander, Captain Skirata wants everyone in the meeting room."

They went to the main room where everyone was gathered and waiting for Qi'ra who entered. "Things might have gotten complicated. I've just been informed that the Coruscant Security Force arrested one of Perrive's men." She told them.

"Well that complicates things. With one of their men arrested by the CSF they rest will panic for sure." Kal said.

"So, what does that mean for our plans?" Obi-wan asked.

"Two things. A) they'll either all scatter and go underground which means we'll be hunting them down one by one in stead of a group. B) they'll speed up their time table for their next plan." Kal suggested when his commlink went off so he signaled them all to be quiet. "Hello?"

_"__Galard, it's Perrive."_ Once they heard his name, they all kept quiet and let the conversation play out.

"Hey, Perrive. I've got the explosives you need, and we're all set up for the exchange later this week." Kal told him.

_"__That's good but something's come up. I'm actually gonna need you to make the delivery tomorrow. Same spot and location but it needs to be tomorrow."_ Perrive told him.

"Tomorrow?" Kal questioned and they all shared a knowing looking. Guess they're panicking and are accelerating their time table. "Sure, thing but it's gonna cost you a hundred extra."

That was a bit of a risk as it could have had Perrive call it quits but it also helped Kal to sound more like a criminal. _"Fine, a hundred extra but the delivery needs to be tomorrow. My associates will be there tomorrow to oversee the delivery."_

"Your associates but not you?" Kal asked.

_"__No, I won't be there tomorrow so my associates will oversee the delivery for me. Don't worry, your payment will be waiting there for you. I got to go."_ Perrive said.

"Ok." Kal said as the call ended. "Looks like they're speeding up their timetable."

"But Perrive won't be there to oversee the delivery." Will pointed out.

"He's probably bugging out, but we'll handle it. Get your gear ready because the mission is a go." Kal said.

**24 hours later…**

The next night, Kal, Obi-wan, Boss, and Niner were dressed up in their mercenary attire to act as the Pyke syndicate gunrunners while the others were standing by at a safe distance in full gear. Omega Squad, Delta Squad, and the Rathtar squad were decked out in their armor and weapons and Will dressed in his padawan robes and beskar gauntlets. Walon Vau wasn't there with them because Kal assigned him to find Perrive and kill him.

Will was stationed on a nearby roof with Fives, Echo, Hevy, and Fi. Fi had his sniper rifle trained on the delivery cargo bay. Hevy had his rotary blaster standing ready with a PLX-1 portable missile launcher slung on his back. Echo had a DC-15A Blaster carbine while Fives was using a DC-15A blaster rifle.

_"__Ok, everyone get ready. We're coming up on the cargo bay. The second I give the signal then go ahead."_ Kal radioed over comms as he, Obi-wan, Boss, and Niner arrived on a speeder with several crates of the explosives for their deal but in actuality they were empty.

"All right, get ready. Hevy, the second you get the signal you fire a rocket at the nearby lights." Will told him.

"Roger that." Hevy replied, loading the launcher.

"Echo, how many down there?" Will asked as Echo checked his scanner.

"At least thirty targets."

"Good, plenty for all of us." Fi said, lining up a shot on a Separatist with a sniper rifle.

"All right, get ready and watch your shots." Will moved to the edge of the roof, ready to jump down and help when ready.

Everyone saw the exchange go down. Words were exchanged and the dummy box with the actual explosives was shown to lure them in and not raise a flag. One the money was handed over, Niner and Boss moved one of the crates over so the Separatists could take it when Kal tapped his communicator five times giving the signal.

"That's the signal. Hevy, Scorch, take out the lights." Will said over the comms as both clones used their PLX-1 launchers and fired rockets at the main light posts, taking out the main source of visibility in the area.

Once the lights were out, Kal pulled out his blaster pistol and killed three of the terrorists before vaulting over the speeder for cover. Boss and Niner pulled out their DC-17M blasters and opened fire before moving to cover while Obi-wan activated his saber and deflected blaster bolts. Omega Squad and Delta squad moved in from nearby alleys to provide cover while Rathtar squad and Fi provide fire support from the roof. Fi took out the sniper before he could shoot Boss and Hevy's rotary blaster flurry of fire made man of them take cover.

Obi-wan blocked and deflected more blaster bolts which killed one of the terrorists when he saw Will rush over and shield Omega squad while they took down a few more terrorists. They killed about fifteen of the terrorists when the remaining 20 rushed away as fast as they could to a nearby warehouse while one just ran.

"Kal, the targets are bugging out to a nearby warehouse and one left!" Fi told him.

"Roger that. Fi go the one who left and have the others go around the warehouse and make sure they don't escape!" Kal told him.

"Roger that. You heard him. Move!" Fi said as he chased after the fleeing rabbit while Hevy, Echo, and Fives moved to the warehouse.

Kal, Obi-wan, Will, Omega Squad, and Delta squad gathered up at the warehouse by the loading door. Darman fired a sonic dart at the wall and it fed his scanner a layout of the warehouse along with the positions of the 20 twenty terrorists inside.

"What's it look like, Darman?" Kal asked.

"All twenty are still inside." He whispered.

"Ok! Everyone inside the warehouse! This is Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi! You're surrounded! There's no need for this to escalate any further! Please surrender and no harm will come to any of you!" Obi-wan shouted.

They heard some talking and Darman noted some movement before they all seemed to stop. "Ok! We're surrender! We're coming out!"

The commandos kept their guns trained on the cargo door as it opened. The lights inside the warehouse weren't turned on so they couldn't see anything when a small flame appeared in the dark. Only it wasn't a torch or candle, but a flamethrower and they could see a Separatist wielding it.

"Eat this!" He shot out a stream of fire that made everyone duck for cover. Darman was a second slow and wouldn't have been engulfed it Will hadn't tackled him out of the way. Will landed on the ground and force pushed the terrorist back into the warehouse and into a pile of crates. He got back up and started spewing more fire only for Kal to shoot the tank. The explosion killed the flamethrower wielder and five nearby terrorists. The terrorists resumed fire as the clones and Kal took cover while Obi-wan and Will used their sabers to deflect blaster fire.

"Echo, where are you guys?" Will shouted.

"We're on the east side of the warehouse. We're breaching now!" Echo told him as a small explosion was heard in the warehouse. Fives, Echo, and Hevy entered and opened fire at the Separatists, attacking them from behind. The commandos switched their HUDs to night vision before entering the warehouse in tactical formation and returned fire. Will and Obi-wan moved in, working back to back and deflecting blaster fire as the Separatists were whittled down one after another. Kal finished off the last Separatists with a headshot and they were all taken care of.

"Is that all of them?" Obi-wan asked, deactivating his saber.

"Not yet. Fi, report in." Kal said over the commlink.

"I'm all right. I tracked down the Separatist to an apartment. He put up a fight, but he's taken care of." Fi reported in.

"So, we did it?" Will asked.

"That we did, kid. You handled yourself very well." Kal commented.

"And you saved my life. Thank you, sir." Darman said.

"Don't mention it." Will replied as he looked at Obi-wan. "This was a victory, Master."

"It was." Obi-wan replied.

The people of Coruscant were unaware that this mission saved them from a Separatist bombing that would have targeted the power center and killed countless people. It was good work and Will meet new friends that will turn into future allies. One battle was won but the war is not over.

**End of chapter 2**

**This is the end of Chapter 2. Hoped you guys liked it. I'm still doing ok in light of everything going on and I hope all of you are taking care of yourselves. Kal Skirita and the clone commandos will show up again in later chapters. I thought it was a cool part of the legends canon that Disney scrapped so I'm glad to be introducing them. Along with those characters, Will is going to be undertaking missions other than the ones for the clone wars tv shows so look forward to that. And Qi'ra is an old friend who will be able to help Will in the future with information and tech. I thought she was a cool character, but the move Solo needed better writing. **

**Next chapter, Will's time on Coruscant isn't over as he works with the Coruscant Security Force to round up any remaining terrorists in the Separatist cell. In doing so he finds an old reminder of his mom and his past that will become a big help in the future. Then while Obi-wan remains at the temple for a short period he accompanies Senator Padme Amidala on a mission. Until next time. **

**1). Imagine Ed Harris in appearance for Kal Skirata**

**2). Qi'ra from Solo: A Star Wars movie. Her birthdate according to the Wiki is actually close to the one I made for Will, so I decided to change things up a bit to have her here. She's a savvy businesswomen and broker with criminals who knows how to play people. Her appearance is the same as the beginning of the movie on Corellia and her appearance is the same, played by Emilia Clarke. **

**Will Vizsla, Son of Pio Vizsla, nephew of Pre Vizsla and Mandalorian by birth. Padawan Jedi. **

· **Birthdate: 38BY**-Age 16

· **Padawan Apprentice to Obi-wan Kenobi, Former Padawan of Ur-Sema Du, Son of Pio Vizsla. Nephew of Pre Vizsla. **

· **Appearance:** Dylan O'Brien from Maze Runner: The Death Cure. With Padawan braid.

o **Clothing:**

§ Dark blue Padawan robes and combat boots. Combat belt with Cyan Blue lightsaber.

§ Ancestral Mandalorian Beskar armored combat gloves and forearm guards with weapons. Necklace with symbol of Clan Vizsla.

§ A black shirt, black jacket and blue pants **(Casual/Undercover)**

· **Personality:** Kind, caring, quick-witted and smart. Able to adapt to situations very easily. Prone to quips to distract or enrage his enemies. Can be a bit of a smartass yet humble and works well with others. Extremely proficient in tinkering and building with electronics. Excellent pilot and mechanic. Knowledge in warfare and weapons from extensive self-tutelage at the Jedi Temple and Mandalorian training by Pio Vizsla. When triggered, can be aggressive and unhinged to a point.

· **Skills and Powers**

o **Force Powers:**

§ Force speed, Force sight, Force empathy, Force Jump, Force Stasis, Force Pull/Push, Force Throw, Force Barrier, Force Repulse, Force Precognition, Animal Bond, Mind Trick, Levitation, Lightsaber throw.

o **Combat Skills**:

§ Specialized in Form 2 Makashi-Lightsaber-to-Lightsaber combat, Form 3 Soresu-Blaster counter/Defense, Form four Ataru-combines speed, strength, agility, powers, and the force for to aid in movement and combat.

§ Adept at hand-to-hand combat.

§ Mandalorian gauntlets with repulsor, grappling line, wrist rockets, flamethrower, laser splicer, retractable wrist/forearm blades, shield projector, and built-in communicator and holovid.

· BD-8 companion droid

· Rathtar Squad: Echo, Hevy, Fives,

· Allies: Qi'ra, Kal Skirata, Delta Squad Commandos,

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any associated or mentions properties above. All rights belong to Disney or respective companies, I'm just a big fan. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone, here is Chapter 3 of the Mandalorian Maverick. The mission on Coruscant to take down a Separatist terrorist ring actually worked out. Now it was pretty much clean up duty and that clean up duty leads Will to a discovery that's going to help with the war effort. And while Obi-wan has to stay at the temple, he assigns Will to escort Senator Amidala on a mission which takes a turn for the worse. Enjoy!**

**The Mandalorian Maverick: Nothing is ever easy**

**22BBY: Coruscant**

The mission on Coruscant to take down the Separatist terrorist ring was a success with no casualties. Their leader was taken down, the fake explosives deal they set up was a success and now they were rounding up the stragglers and anyone else who didn't show up at the deal. Honestly, it was just clean up so Kal left it in charge of the Jedi while he, Omega and Delta squad had to leave for another mission, but he said they meet again. To be fair, Will thinks the only reason they actually left the planet was to avoid doing the monotonous door to door round ups of the Separatist helpers and agents. Still, it was good work for Will and the Rathtar squad.

Speaking of the squad, the clean up on Coruscant gave them time to bond and work together. It was good work as Will got to know Hevy, Echo, and Fives and they got to know him. They were becoming less like a general and his soldiers and more like friends. Taking a page out of Kal Skirata's book he began instructing them in his Mandalorian culture and helping them train. He gave them a lot of freedom and they began customizing their armor and appearance that Will was more than happy for them to do so.

Hevy, given his nickname, was quick to adopt the heavy weapons specialist role of the Rathtar squad. Heavy Rotary blaster, rocket launchers, and other things that went boom he was quickly becoming the demolitions expert of the group. Echo was turning into the tech guy and usually manned the tech aspects of their jobs like scanners and things like that. He even was given a spare DC-15s Interchangeable weapons system blaster from Darman as a blaster. Fives was becoming Will's second in command and was good in a leadership role, probably from his desire to be promoted to an Arc trooper. He used a DC-15A blaster rifle and adopted twin DC-15s blaster pistols like Rex. All in all, the Rathtar squad was becoming fierce.

They were at the last of the Separatist outposts on Coruscant which was an old empty apartment building. The Coruscant Security Force were standing by for the arrest while Will and the Rathtar squad would take the building. Will led the group through the main door and stayed quiet and stealthy as they made their way up to the second floor where preliminary scans indicated most of the Separatists are located. Echo placed a scanner on the wall which let out a subsonic wave that mapped out the adjacent room. Once the scan was finished, Echo hand signaled to the others indicating that there were ten armed Separatists inside, but they weren't aware of their presence. Will then hand signaled to them all with their plan and they quickly got to work. Hevy took out breaching charges from his pack and quietly placed them on the wall in a large square with enough space for them to make it through before connecting the charges with blasting wire. He also prepped sonic imploder in his free hand. Echo got his blaster ready while Fives readied his two blaster pistols. Will then walked over to the door and gave it a harsh knock.

"Attention residents, this is the Padawan Will Vizsla of the Jedi order! You're currently surrounded! Lay down your weapons and surrender or you will be met with resistance! Your other conspirators have already been arrested so save yourself the trouble and surrender now!" Will shouted.

Echo checked his scanner and could see all the Separatists inside scramble to get their blasters and weapons ready. They weren't going to give up so Will gave them a countdown.

Five…four…three…two…one…

Hevy blew the breach charge and the wall to the room exploded before he tossed in the sonic imploder. It dinged and rattled on the floor before it erupted in a flash of light and loud ringing noise that concussed them all before Will and his squad moved in. Will activated his saber and sliced several of the blasters into pieces while the others blasted them in non-lethal areas like the arm or leg. Once they were all subdued, the Separatists were cuffed, and the place was secured before they called in backup. The Coruscant Security Force arrived to take the Separatists into custody while Will and the others took inventory of everything of note. Besides the regular blasters and explosives there were some communication logs with Separatists commanders off world about their plans, some plans for different attacks if things had gone differently, exit plans to get off planet along with 30,000 credits. That along with the other terrorist spots he stopped gave him a total of 200,000 credits. Well, to the victor go the spoils but he gave Echo, Fives, and Hevy their share.

As they were cleaning up, Will got a call on his communicator. "Hello?"

_"__Will, it's me."_ Qi'ra answered.

"Qi'ra. I wasn't expecting to hear from you. Is everything ok?" Will asked.

_"__Yeah, everything's fine but I found something you're gonna want to see. Meet me at warehouse 45."_ She told him.

"That's one of the Separatist warehouses the CSF took down. What's going on?" Will asked.

_"__It'll be easier to explain when you get here."_ She said before hanging up.

"What was that about, Sir?" Echo asked.

"Not sure. Let's go find out." Will said as they finished up their work and took a speeder to the warehouse.

When they arrived, they were met with some resistance from Qibbu's men who were stationed outside the warehouse and it almost ended up in a firefight if Qi'ra hadn't arrived. "Stand down. Let them through." She told them and they did. Qi'ra led Will and the clones into the warehouse which had quickly been refurbished back into a holding area, most likely for Qibbu's use.

"I see you guys have cleaned up here." Will commented.

"Naturally. While Qibbu was more than happy to get the Separatists off planet, he's even more happy with the fringe benefits to your mission. All of the former Separatists bunkers and warehouses have been acquired at a cheaper price." Qi'ra informed him.

"So, we do our job and the Hutt gets to reap the benefits." Hevy sneered.

"Easy, Hevy. Qibbu helped us do our job." Will told him. "So, why did you bring me back here?"

"Because we found something that I believe you're familiar with." Qi'ra replied, bringing him to the back of the warehouse where they found a large grey and orange colored Corellian Engineering Corporation XS Stock Light Freighter. A large tarp was on the ground indicating that it had been hidden before. "We found this ship here. Does it look familiar?"

Will walked around the ship to get a better look at it and it was remarkably familiar. He ran his hand across one of the loose panels and he could even feel that he had seen this ship before. The orange and grey color of the panel evoked fond memories and when he saw a faint mark in the shape of the symbol of Clan Vizsla on the cockpit he knew what it was. "This is the Tempest…this was my mother's ship." Will said and Qi'ra nodded.

"I recognized it the moment I saw it. One of Qibbu's men wanted to scrap it for parts but I stopped him." She told him.

"I always wondered what happened to it after I went to the Jedi Temple. I just thought it was stolen and I'd never see it again." Will said.

"I looked through the system logs and you're right. Someone stole it from a docking bay and after that it passed owners over the years before it found its hand into the Separatists. They used this ship to transport their agents onto the planet." Qi'ra told him.

"Yeah, because this thing has the best stealth system there is. My mom modified it herself. It could pass undetected by most scanning systems. I doubt that a Republic star destroyer could pick it up." Will said.

"How is that possible?" Echo asked.

"The stealth system was modified by my mom herself and it's completely unique. It uses a quantum trojan variant key that can pick up incoming scanning signals and then feed them back in a loop so it could go through a system undetected. Granted you'd have to move at a slow pace and then worry about being visibly seen but still, it does most of the job for you." Will said before looking at Qi'ra. "So, what are you going to do with it?"

"Well, part of me thought about keeping it since it could help out Qibbu immensely but…I know your mother would want you to have it. And considering that you're fighting a war, maybe it'll help." Qi'ra told him.

Will smiled at Qi'ra and glad that his friend would do this for him. A ship like this would be a boon to someone like Qibbu yet she gave it to him. Their friendship still mattered even after all these years. "Thank you, Qi'ra. I'll pay you back for this. Speaking of which…" He opened his pack and handed her thirty thousand credits that he took from the Separatist Terrorists. "As a thank you."

"Oh, the thought is very much appreciated." Qi'ra said. "You be careful out there, Will and don't be a stranger. If you need anything you just let me know."

"Likewise, Qi'ra. If you need anything, anything at all just let me know." Will told her and the two shared a hug as they wouldn't see each other for a while. Will, Echo, Fives, and Hevy walked onto the Tempest and to Will it felt like taking a trip down memory lane. Since it was a light freighter, it was pretty big on the inside to accommodate passengers and excess cargo, but it also had personal touches like a lounge with a kitchen and holotable along with sleeping quarters for a crew.

Will stopped in the lounge and looked at the old sofa and remembered a time when he was younger. His mom took him on a trip and the two would cuddle on the couch where she would regale him with stories of ancient Mandalore before he fell asleep and she would place a blanket on him, so he was warm.

"Sir?" Will turned and saw it was Echo. "You ok, sir?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Echo. Just taking a walk down memory lane. Come on." Will led them to the cockpit which had seen better days. It was still in working shape but was a little old and needed some tender care. Will got in the main pilot seat, Echo got in the co-pilot seat and Hevy and Echo sat down in the two cockpit passenger seats. Will hit some buttons and turned the ignition on only for the reactor to sputter. "Come on, baby. Come on."

Will did it one more time and the reactor turned on and powered up the ship. The navigational computer booted up and everything was online. He powered up the engines and prepped the ship to leave. While it managed to take off, it wasn't exactly smooth. The Separatists did little to keep this thing in good condition. He eventually managed to pilot it out of the warehouse and began making his way to the shipping yards and his master's Venator-class Star Destroyer, _the Negotiator_. Master Kenobi was on Coruscant for the time being and 212st clone battalion has some R&R for a week so it would give him some time to get this thing fixed.

Obi-wan himself was talking to the deck officer in the hangar of _the Negotiator_ about the status of their supplies and the repairs being done on the damage starfighters. That's where BD-8 was. He was there helping fix the damage ships when his head perked up at the sound of a ship closing in. He scurried past the clones and Master Kenobi saw the little droid scurry away to the hangar opening. That's when he saw a new ship heading towards them. It appeared to be a freighter and appeared to be closing in to ram the ship, but it began to slow down in a rather clumsy way. The engines sputtered and kicked out smoke before it finally managed to land with a loud thud in the middle of the hangar before the exhaust system let out a cloud of dust and black smoke.

The nearby clones readied their blasters as the freight ramp opened, letting out more smoke from inside the ship. Coughing could be heard as Will ran out of the ship followed by the others. "Sorry! Stand down!" Will shouted and the clones did as he coughed up a lung. "Sorry about that. The compressor blew on our way here."

"Padawan, I'm afraid to ask what happened but please start with this. Where did you get this ship?" Obi-wan asked.

"At one of the Separatist warehouses the CSF took down. It belonged to my mother." Will told him.

"Really?" Obi-wan was not expecting to hear that.

"Yeah, it was hers. She spent years modifying it and making it the beast it is. Qi'ra recognized it and let me know so I took it back. I figured with Rathtar blown to pieces I'll use this instead. It's faster than any regular ship and more powerful…" Will knocked one of the freighter's panels only for another panel to fall off. "…after some tender love and care. Since we're going to be on Coruscant for a while, I figured I could spend my spare time when I'm not training on fixing this thing up. Trust me, Master, when I get this thing up and running it'll be a big help."

"If you say so." Obi-wan wasn't so convinced.

"All right, guys. Let's get this thing fixed up." Will said, smiling at the opportunity while the others weren't as thrilled.

**Seven planetary rotations later…**

Obi-wan made his way through the interior of his Star Destroyer to find his Padawan who he could only guess was in the hangar still working on that ship of his. True to his word, whenever he wasn't busy studying or training, he would spend it working on the ship. He made his way through the hangar and saw the light freighter was being worked on by several clone mechanics along with Fives, Echo, and Hevy. When he first got a glimpse of the ship it looked like something that belonged in a scrap yard, it now was restored to its former glory and looked like any other ship. New heavy armored plating was put in and its fresh coat of paint made the black and orange color pop.

"Hevy, how's the heavy plating holding?" Echo asked.

"We're all good here." Hevy told him, finished with sealing the last heavy armor plate.

"Fives, what about the new proton torpedo launchers?" Echo added.

"All set and loaded." Fives replied when he noticed Obi-wan walk over to them. "General!"

He and the others stood at attention and saluted the Jedi Master. "At ease, gentlemen. Would you be able to tell me where my Padawan is?"

"The Commander's inside." Echo told him. Obi-wan nodded in thanks before walking up the ramp and into the ship. The inside of the light freighter had been refurbished as well and looked quite nice to take on a trip. Everything from the kitchen to the furniture to the flooring was new. Will really did a nice job in fixing the ship up. He heard a droid beeping along with the sizzle of electrical irons and sparks. Obi-wan followed the noise and faint flicker of sparks through the hallways until he arrived what appeared to be the engine room of the freighter. BD-8 was on the ground using his splicer to adjust some circuits on a wall panel while Will hooked his legs onto a pipe and was hanging upside down as he worked on some modifications. He had safety goggles on to protect his eyes from the sparks of the electrical splicer.

"Padawan!" Obi-wan shouted, catching Will off guard and resulting in him losing his footing and falling to the ground.

"Ow…" Will muttered in pain while Obi-wan and BD-8 chuckled.

"Are you all right?" Obi-wan helped him back to his feet and he looked fine.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Landed on my head." Will joked as he rubbed the back of his head that still stung. "Is something wrong, Master?"

"I came here looking for you. You've done some impressive work with the ship since I first saw it." Obi-wan commented.

"Thanks. It took a lot of elbow grease and I had some of the others help me, but I fixed up this baby back into prime working order. And this isn't just a regular freighter, she's special. Two powerful sub-light engines make this thing as fast as our interceptors and probably even the Separatists ships. Not to mention I cleaned up and refurbished the modifications my mother made to the hyperdrive. This thing is the fastest there is…it's a 0.7 class hyperdrive system." Will explained catching Obi-wan by surprise. "Not only can this thing outrace anything, it's hyperdrive can outlast a Star Destroyer."

"Very impressive. How did she manage that?" Obi-wan wondered.

"She knew an extremely skilled mechanic after taking the hyperdrive from…someone who no longer needed it." Will implied and Obi-wan understood. "I was doing some adjusting to the hyperdrive's fuel reserves because I got an idea. This thing has the best stealth system and sensor array for any ship, but it still can be picked up by visual scans. To take it to the next level, I was thinking that I could add the same adaptive camouflage system from that prototype you told me about when you and Master Skywalker helped relieve the forces on Christophsis before Ahsoka and I showed up."

"The stealth prototype ship?" Obi-wan asked and Will nodded.

"Exactly. If I can add that system to the Tempest, then not only can it remain undetectable by scanners, but it'll be invisible to the eye as well. It could help tremendously with future battles, recon missions, or just getting through Separatist blockades." Will told him.

"Not a bad idea but the stealth ship we used was still a prototype. While it did work, I'm not certain it would work for a ship this size." Obi-wan commented. "Still, no harm in giving it a try. I'll see what I can do about getting you the parts you need."

"Thank you, Master. At least I won't have to pay for that one." Will said.

"Pay?" Obi-wan was confused.

"Yeah. A lot of the Tempest's parts aren't exactly standard issue in a Republic docking bay on Coruscant. I've had to use Qi'ra to get the parts I need which resulted in me giving her pretty much all the credits I recovered during our cleanup of the Separatists on the planet." Will explained. "I think she purposely didn't tell me the condition of the ship so I would pay her for the parts. I'm completely tapped out. Anyway, enough about my personal dilemmas. What do you need, Master?"

"Anakin has told me that Senator Amidala from Naboo plans to travel to Rodia to speak to some representatives." Obi-wan told him.

"So, we're going with her as an escort?" Will asked but Obi-wan shook his head no.

"No, Anakin suggested that, but she doesn't want a clone escort. She's going personally on a Nubian shuttle to the planet by herself. Anakin suggested she should at least have some security and would have volunteered but he's off world. Unfortunately, I'm still needed here at the temple, so I suggested you escort the Senator on her mission." Obi-wan explained.

"You're trusting me with this assignment by myself?" Will questioned and Obi-wan nodded.

"It shouldn't be nothing more than a simple political discussion. From what Anakin told me, the Senator from Rodia and Senator Amidala are old friends so there shouldn't be any issues. And while she was against the idea of a Jedi escorting her, she relented when I mentioned it would be a Padawan, but you must dress like a regular civilian. She doesn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble if a Jedi was to accompany her. That was Senator Amidala's final stipulation." Obi-wan replied.

"Oh, well thank you master. I'm honored that you're letting me undertake this mission by myself." Will bowed his head.

"Just be careful. It should hopefully be a regular escort mission while the Senator discusses politics but be careful. Don't let her out of our sight and contact for help should something happen." Obi-wan reminded him.

"Yes, Master. I promise I'll be safe. I'll make you proud." Will told him as Obi-wan pat him on the shoulder.

"I know you will, my padawan." Obi-wan replied.

Line Break xxxxx

**The Clone Wars threatens the unity of the Republic. As battle rage across the galaxy more worlds succumb to the seductive lure of the Separatists and leave the Republic.**

**On a vital mission of peace, Senator Padme Amidala and her Padawan protector Will Vizsla journey to the Outer Rim world of Rodia, desperate to ensure its loyalty remain to the Republic.**

Will and Senator Amidala were nearing the planet Rodia in their Nubian cruiser along with the protocol droid C-3P0 and Representative Binks of Naboo. True to her conditions, Will was officially not acting at her Jedi bodyguard but as her pilot so he was dressed in the regular clothes he wore during the mission on Coruscant. His lightsaber tucked into his jacket and his beskar gauntlets hidden by his sleeves and BD-8 chilling on the ground next to his chair. Senator Farr who contacted Padme told her to come quickly and she was already uncomfortable with lying to him, so she didn't want to raise any suspicions. Still, something about this seemed like a trap waiting to happen.

As they closed in on the planet, Chancellor Palpatine contacted Senator Amidala about this trip. "_Senator Amidala. I have just received word that you have ventured through enemy territory into the Outer Rim."_

"Senator Farr requested me personally, Chancellor. His planet is in crisis, his people are starving. He's a very old family friend. I could not refuse his plea for help." She told him.

_"__I understand but in these dangerous times, you should be accompanied by a clone escort."_ Chancellor Palpatine told her.

"This is a mission of peace. I put my faith in democracy. We can't solve all our problems by throwing troops at them." She told him as Jar-Jar Binks stood up.

"Yousa no needin to worry, chancellor." He said, pushing past C-3P0 who spun around in his chair. "As representative of Naboo—"

Jar-Jar was cut off as C-3P0 tripped the Gungan who crashed onto a panel and hit a button, causing the ship to swerve and the engines to accelerate out of control.

"Damn it!" Will quickly re-stabilized the controls and decelerated the engines which let the ship resume its peaceful flight. "Sit down!" Jar-Jar quickly did so but accidently sat onto C-3P0 causing the two to fall onto the floor. "Good grief."

_"__Well, at least you have a Padawan there to look after you, but may I recommend that only those who are qualified for these delicate peace talks participate in them?" _Palpatine suggested.

Padme spared a glance over to Jar-Jar who was still sitting on the protocol droid. "I will follow your advice, Chancellor. Thank you." She told him, ending the call right after that.

"Probably the best advice we've been given all day." Will muttered. "All right, descending to the planet now."

Will piloted the ship down through the atmosphere and made his way to the landing platform they were instructed to land. Rodia was a tropical jungle/swamp-like planet but not a lot of the planet was habitable, and it had very dangerous wildlife which is why the cities on the planet were protected by domes. He piloted the ship down to one of the cities and landed in the shipyard dock. Will powered down the ship as Jar-Jar talked about going to explore but Padme told him he needed to stay with the ship and look after C-3P0.

"Padawan Vizsla you'll remain with the ship as well." Padme told him.

"Senator Amidala, is that such a good idea? I have been assigned to this mission as your protector." He reminded her.

"Disguised as my pilot and as the pilot you'll remain here. Senator Farr said to come alone, and I don't want to jeopardize peace talks. You'll remain with the ship until I return." She told him as she got dressed and left.

"If this thing goes south, I am so saying I told you so." Will muttered as BD-8 jumped onto the console and pat Will on the arm with one of its legs. They were now stuck with a protocol droid and a Gungan. Will kept watch over the system while Jar-Jar and C-3P0 stepped out into the docking bay.

Nothing seemed to be going on at all when he heard Jar-Jar shouting so he went out to see what was going on. BD-8 followed and climbed onto his back as the two walked out of the ship and saw Jar-Jar facing the swamp and seemed to be trying to communicate with whatever swamp life was out there. His response was a local fruit tossed at 3P0's head and a guttural noise.

**_"_****_I don't think that requires translation."_** 3P0 told him.

"Thissin is a different swamp, all together. Sorry." Jar-Jar said as he cleaned 3P0.

"Well this mission is getting off to a good start." Will muttered sarcastically when the doors to the docking bay opened and a squad of battle droids entered.

**_"_****_Oh, my stars! Battle droids."_** 3P0 said.

"Get onto the ship!" Will shouted he activated his saber.

**_"_****_Jedi, blast him!"_** The droids began shooting at him but weren't doing the best job as Will blocked and deflected all their blasts. Jar-Jar quickly got onto the ship and hit the ramp button but when he tried to drag 3P0 on they both fell off which resulted in Jar-Jar running away, dragging some rope which then got tangled onto the magnetic loading dock arm and nearly crushed 3P0. Then it activated which then dragged 3P0 high into the air and nearly hit Will if he didn't duck in time, but it did take out the rest of the droids.

"That Gungan is gonna get me killed." Will said but his problems weren't over as a crab droid entered the docking bay. It marched its way over to Will and used its front blasters to put him on the defensive. Quickly adopting his form 3-Soresu stance, he blocked and deflected the incoming blaster bolts. While he had no problem blocking the blasters from regular battle droids and even super battle droids, the heavier volley from the crab droid was much more difficult to block. It began advancing towards him which forced him back over to the edge of the docking bay.

Before Will could come up with another plan, the Gungan broke from cover so the crab droid focused some of its fire on it which gave him the split-second chance to act. He quickly dashed to the side and charged forward, throwing his saber which sliced off one of its legs before it returned to him. Just as the crab droid turned to face him and fired a blaster bolt, he flipped into the air and landed on the droid's back before ending it with one final stab into its brain. The droid let out a weak mechanical cry before it sputtered and dropped dead.

**_"_****_Oh, thank the maker."_** 3P0 said. "**_Now would someone kindly get me down."_**

"Messa on it threeso!" Jar-Jar shouted as it pressed a button on the magnetic loading arm and it deactivated, letting 3P0 drop onto the ground in a thud.

**_"_****_Ouch! Jar-Jar, kindly don't do that."_** 3P0 told him.

"But messa savid you." Jar-Jar proudly exclaimed before laying his elbow onto the console, pressing a few more buttons which moved the magnetic arm over the Nubian cruiser…and then crushed the front half rendering it unable to fly.

**_"_****_Well, there goes the front half of our ship. Typical_**." 3P0 said.

"Bad enough we're stuck here, now I'm stuck with a stupid Gungan who's trying to kill us." Will muttered underneath his breath as he pushed past the Gungan and climbed up onto what remained of the ship to see if he could call for help. Jar-Jar and 3P0 joined him but without some help they weren't going anywhere.

"Thissa a big mess. Wessa going nowhere." Jar-Jar said.

**_"_****_Perhaps we should try to contact the clone troopers."_** 3P0 suggested.

"That's not gonna happen. Half of the ship's systems are dead which include the communications part. We can't get a signal out and there's no way I can repair it with half the ship gone and no one noticing." Will told him.

"Oh, lookie. Here's a button that's still working." Jar-Jar pressed a button on the main console and the door to the side closet opened.

**_"_****_Oh, what did you break now?"_** 3P0 asked.

"But messa doing nothing."

"It's a Jedi robe." Will said as he looked it over. "What the hell is it doing here?"

**_"_****_I wouldn't really know but our only hope is to hide in this closet until Mistress Padme returns."_** 3P0 suggested.

"That's a bad idea. The second those droids don't report in more will show up. Not to mention that since they showed up, its likely she's in trouble." Will replied.

**_"_****_Master Vizsla, my lady gave us very specific instructions to remain here."_** 3P0 reminded him only for Will to grab the Jedi robe.

"Well, you can do that but I'm going to go save her because that's my job." Will said, putting the robe on. "If Senator Farr has Padme and the Separatists are here then she's likely being held prisoner. I need to get her before more show up."

"Good then wessa going with you." Jar-Jar told him.

**_"_****_Jar-Jar, that is without a doubt the most idiotic plan I've ever heard of."_** 3P0 interrupted him.

"I'll go faster on my own. If I were you guys, I'd go find someplace to hide until backup arrives." Will said as he slipped the robe on and pulled the hood up to cover his face. "Parts of the swamp springs to mind."

3P0 wasn't overly optimistic about his odds. "**_Are you sure about that sir? Who knows what you'll be facing?"_**

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, 3P0. Now go find someplace to hide." Will told them as the droid and Gungan disembarked the ship. "Let's go, BD-8."

The tiny droid nodded its head as it climbed up his back and got rested on his usual spot. Will quickly and quietly made his way from the docking bay through the city, sticking close to the shadows to not draw attention. He heard some noise and saw a shuttle arrive at one of the spare docks flanked by two vulture droids. "A separatist shuttle. Let's see who showed up."

He stuck to cover and watched as Senator Farr and his attendant led Separatist Leader Nute Gunray and a squad of battle droids from the docking bay. "Nute Gunray. That makes some sense given his history." Will said to himself. He overheard them holding Senator Amidala in the tower which meant that's where he needed to go. "All right, BD-8. Go stealth mode and find a communications station or relay. Send word to the Republic for backup and be careful. I'll get the Senator."

Before the droid could go, one of the battle droids spotted Jar-Jar and 3P0 which resulted in 3P0 surrendering and being captured while Jar-Jar slipped their attention dived through a floor grate and into the water below. "BD-8, go now."

Bd-8 quickly scurried away to do his job while Will used the force to increase his speed and sped past some droids.

**_"_****_Did you hear that?" _**

**_"_****_I didn't hear anything. Your circuits must be loose."_**

Unbeknownst to Nute Gunray, Senator Amidala was quite crafty and managed to engineer her escape with a lockpick hidden in her boot and tricking the battle droids. Armed with an E-5 Blaster rifle, she quietly made her way through the Rodian prison tower. She moved quickly and saw 3P0 escorted by some battle droids but before she could save him, both droids floated into the air and were crushed into pieces before being tossed into an empty closet. Padme raised her blaster but lowered it when Will stepped into view in the Jedi robes.

"Hate to say I told you so, Senator but I told you so." Will said as he removed the hood. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." She replied.

**_"_****_Oh, Mistress Padme thank the maker your—"_** Will grabbed the droid and they all quickly moved into the closet to avoid a droid patrol.

"Where's Jar-Jar?" Padme asked.

"He escaped under the city. Don't know where he is now. I was on my way to rescue you from the tower when I saw you make your escape." Will told her. "At least we know why Senator Farr wanted you specifically. I saw Nute Gunray arrive along with a small squad of droids."

"This is our chance to capture Gunray. 3P0, go back to the ship and call for help." Padme ordered.

**_"_****_I regret to inform you that the transmitters on the ships are out of order." _**

"What?"

**_"_****_The ship has been destroyed."_**

"Battle droids?"

"No, that idiot Gungan. Anyway, I sent BD-8 out to find a communications relay to send word to the Republic for reinforcements." Will's commlink in his gauntlet went off with a message from BD-8. "Ok, good news. BD-8 managed to contact a nearby clone fleet and they're on their way. Now, we just need to capture Nute Gunray and the Separatists lose a valuable pawn."

Padme began to think it over and came up with something quite clever. "I think I have a plan."

Jar-Jar, having escaped the droids by diving into the water underneath the city was making his way to safety. He stumbled over to the prison tower but before a droid patrol could spot him, he was grabbed from behind and dragged into a closet. Jar-Jar looked and saw it was Will who saved him.

"Oh, Will yousa saved me!" Jar-Jar shouted a little too loud which attracted some nearby droids.

"**_Hey, who's there?!"_**

"Go to sleep." Will touched Jar-Jar's forehead and used the force to put the Gungan into a deep sleep. He stepped out of the closet where two battle droids saw him.

**_"_****_The Jedi! Blast him!"_** The two droids opened fire, but Will ducked and swerved to avoid being hit before flipping over the droids. He landed in a roll and force pushed the two droids, sending them clattering onto the ground. His attack drew the attention of some nearby battle droids and super battle droids who signaled for backup.

The droids in the courtyard pressed their attack which caused Will to duck, dip, dive, and dodge using all his Jedi training to his advantage against the droids. He front-flipped into the air and kicked two droids in the head which were sent flying into two other droids. The droids tried to blast him as he rolled forward and kicked the legs out from one and force flung the body into others. Several super battle droids arrived and unleashed a volley of fire at him, so he rolled to the side and yanked up a floor grate for cover before using the force to unleash a wave of water from underneath the city. The water absorbed some blaster bolts before it was sent forward and crashed into them.

A blaster bolt nearly hit him in the head from the side where several more droids were heading towards him, so he used the force to yank the grate off its hinge and throw it at them.

**_"_****_Look out!"_** One of the droids shouted only for the grate to bash into two battle droids and a super battle droid.

Another squad of battle droids arrived in the courtyard followed by three destroyer droids. "**_There's the Jedi! Blast him!"_**

The three destroyers unfolded and projected their shields before firing a heavy volley blast at him. Will managed to move to avoid a direct hit but the blasts hit the ground near him and sent him tumbling to the ground. The explosion knocked his hood off and concussed him a little bit which gave the droids enough time to close the distance and surround him. The sound of blaster clicks was what he heard as he saw he was surrounded.

**_"_****_Don't move!"_**

**_"_****_You're surrounded, Jedi. Surrender." _**

"Dammit." Will slowly held his hands up as two battle droids lifted him onto his feet. His arms were pulled behind his back and magnetic binders cuffed his hand together. The droids then led him to another courtyard where Nute Gunray and Senator Farr were waiting. Gunray had a delightful smirk on his face while Senator Farr seemed defeated.

"Ah, the Jedi. It would seem I had nothing to fear from you." Gunray taunted.

"Yet you still haven't caught Senator Amidala. From your track record I should have expected nothing less." Will joked with a chuckle. Gunray signaled one of the droids who hit Will in the stomach, sending him to his knees in a gasp. "Oh…looks like I hit a nerve."

"Is that necessary, Viceroy Gunray?" Senator Farr questioned.

"Be quiet. Once we deal with you, I'll find the Senator and end her myself." Gunray told him.

"Please, Viceroy. There must be another way." Senator Farr pleased his base.

"Silence!"

"Yeesh, if that's how you treat everyone then no wonder you have an army of droids. Any regular army would mutiny. Speaking of which, why don't you guys mutiny?" Will asked the droids around him. "I mean, you guys are the only reason this guy thinks he's invincible. You should be the ones taking charge and leading, not this excuse for a leader."

**_"_****_Uh…are we allowed to do that?"_** One of the droids asked only to get smacked on the head.

**_"_****_Nice try, Jedi but your tricks won't work on us." _**

"You really must be foolish to think that you can reason with droids." Gunray mocked him.

Will looked at Nute Gunray with a smirk as BD-8 waved from its perch on a nearby walkway. "Well, I had to try. And I'm not foolish…I'm just stalling."

Senator Amidala leaned out from behind a wall and threw a thermal detonator before she threw Will's lightsaber high into the air. The explosive blew up some of the droids which gave Will a distraction. He jumped up and looped his hands under his feet and back in front of his before unleashing a force repulse wave that destroyed the droids surrounding him and knocked Nute Gunray and Senator Farr away. He force-pulled his saber into his hands and activated it, slicing his magnetic cufflinks while Senator Amidala blasted the last droid in the head. Nute Gunray quickly got up and tried to run to his ship but Will landed in his way and held his saber to his face.

"It's over, Viceroy." Senator Amidala said as she aimed her blaster at his back when they heard a blaster click and saw Senator Farr had picked up blaster from the ground and aimed in their general direction.

"At last we can finish this."

"Onaconda, it is about time. Blast the Jedi and shoot her!" Gunray ordered. Padme and Will looked that while Senator Farr had his blaster up, he didn't have it in him to pull the trigger which is where Padme got struck with another idea.

"Uncle Ono, I think it's time to tell the viceroy about our little secret. About how you never meant to leave the Republic and how you truly care what's best for your people." Senator Amidala told him.

"What is she talking about?" Gunray asked as Will figured out what Senator Amidala was doing and played along.

"You mean, you didn't figure it out? How she managed to escape capture and our little trap for you? He was playing you from the beginning. We knew you would show up to get the Senator, but the trick was to get you to come without an army which is exactly what you did." Will said as BD-8 had come over with a pair of magnetic cuffs which he used to restrain Viceroy Gunray. "I'm sure for his heroism and brilliant planning, the Republic will thank him immensely for capturing you."

"They are right, Viceroy. I am with the Republic, and you are under arrest." Senator Farr said, aiming his gun at the Viceroy.

"You will pay for this treachery!" Gunray warned him only for BD-8 to use his splicer and shock him in the leg. "Ow!"

"Viceroy, you are going to spend the rest of the war in a cell." Padme told him.

"Your victory will be fleeting, Senators." Gunray said as a Republic Star Destroyer arrived on the planet and several clone gunships began making their way down.

"But your defeat won't be. Something tells me that Count Dooku isn't going to be very happy about this." Will told him as gunships landed and several squads of the Galactic Republic 41st Elite Corp disembarked.

"We got your message, General. What are your orders?" Clone Captain Gree asked.

"Take this scum and find the smallest cell to put him in. I'll join you shortly." Will said as the Clones took the Viceroy away.

"Master Jedi…on behalf of the people of Rodia, I thank you." Senator Farr said. "You're are the bravest Jedi I have ever met."

"It was my pleasure, Senator Farr. I understand that you may lose faith in the Republic but never lose faith in the Jedi. We will always be there if you need us." Will bowed his head and the Senator bowed back.

One of the clones quickly set up a holodisk which projected an incoming transmission from Chancellor Palpatine. "_Senator Farr. Senator Amidala has brought your people's needs to my attention, and I have already sent a convoy of supply ships to your system."_

"Thank you, Chancellor."

_"__The capture of Viceroy Gunray is a major victory for the Republic. All of you should be commended for your courage. Especially you, Padawan Vizsla. You have my utmost respect and thanks for keeping Senator Amidala safe and capturing Viceroy Gunray."_ Chancellor Palpatine said.

"I was just doing my duty, Chancellor." Will bowed his head as the transmission ended.

"Can you ever forgive me, Padme?" Senator Farr asked.

"It is the Republic that should be asking for your forgiveness, my old friend. Far too often, we forget that our most important allies are not always the most powerful." Senator Amidala said.

Line Break xxxxx

**_Viceroy Gunray Captured. Senator Padme Amidala has scored a victory against the Separatist Alliance on the remote world of Rodia, securing the arrest of the diabolical confederate leader, Nute Gunray. _**

**_The Jedi Council has dispatched Master Luminara Unduli and Anakin Skywalker's Padawan Ahsoka to help Padawan Will Vizsla in escorting the viceroy to Coruscant under heavy guard. Once there, he will face trial for his many war crimes._**

The success on Rodia was a huge boon for the Republic as it finally gave them momentum on the Separatists. With the capture of Nute Gunray, a massive blow would be dealt to the Confederacy with his capture and arrest. He was one of the leaders of the Separatist war council, so his capture was important. Nute Gunray was a high valued target so he was being escorted back to Coruscant under guard of the 41st Elite corp or Green Company who collected him on Rodia. Accompanying them was Padawan Will Vizsla who had captured Nute Gunray, Master Luminara Unduli general of the 41st Elite Corp and Ahsoka Tano. They were on a Republic Blockade cruiser on their way to another Star Destroyer that would take them to Coruscant because the 41st Elite Corp Star Destroyer was staying behind to safe guard Rodia.

Master Luminara walked into the cockpit of the cruiser to speak to the captain as they approached the Republic Star Destroyer. "Captain, have you made contact with the cruiser?"

"Yes, general. We'll patch you through now." The pilot hit a few buttons and a communications channel opened between the two ships.

"Jedi Cruiser Tranquility, this is Jedi General Luminara Unduli requesting permission to land."

_"__You are cleared, General. We await your prisoner's arrival."_ Senate commando captain Argyus replied.

"Thank you, Captain Argyus. I look forward to delivering him to you." She replied while Will and Ahsoka were keeping watch over Nute Gunray along with Captain Gree and some clones.

"I am a man of great wealth, and I can be very generous to my allies." Gunray tried to tempt Captain Gree.

"That is a very tempting offer, Viceroy. In the meantime, I have a gift for you." Captain Gree slapped cufflinks onto his wrists to restrain him.

"I'd keep quiet from now on, Viceroy. You don't have any friends here. And if you think of trying to escape…" Will held out his saber and tossed it up into the air before catching it. "…well, medical droids can fix amputations quite nicely."

The Viceroy nervously gulped causing Ahsoka and the clones to chuckle. The cruiser soon docked with the Star Destroyer and once everything was in order, the Jedi and Captain Gree escorted the Viceroy to the detention area. "This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice. I demand my litigator."

"Keep moving." Captain Gree pushed him forward.

They turned a hallway where five Senate Commandos were waiting for them. "Greetings, General. We have the brig all ready for this traitor." Captain Argyus informed her.

"Very good, Captain. Commander Gree, let's get underway." Master Unduli told him.

"Right away, sir. Let's move." Gree shouted as Gunray kept moving and the commandos took the lead in escorting him.

"Senate Commandos? How does a money-grubbing worm like Gunray rate all this security? He doesn't look that dangerous." Ahsoka pointed out.

"Appearances can be deceiving, Ahsoka. Gunray may be a spineless coward but he's the one who led the invasion of Naboo years ago and he's a high-ranking member of the Separatists." Will informed her.

"He's right, young one. Don't let your overconfidence give Gunray another advantage, Ahsoka. Even now, his allies may be conspiring against us." Master Unduli told them.

"Then let's hightail it to Coruscant and find out what he knows. This could be our chance to finally get ahead of the Separatists." Will said as they made their way to the detention area.

Once there, Will got on the communications terminal and informed all soldiers and personnel to be on high alert until they arrived at Coruscant. Master Unduli had a point that the Separatists would try to free Gunray so being on alert only made sense. With that set up, Captain Argyus, the senate commandos along with Captain Gree and some clones were stationed in the detention area while the Jedi would interrogate Gunray for information.

The Star Destroyer was clearing Rodia space and making its way towards a hyperspace lane. It wouldn't be long before they were underway. Captain Argyus finished coordinating his men and walked over to the cell where Captain Gree was. "How goes the interrogation? Has the Viceroy cracked?"

"Not yet. Neimoidians are a slippery lot, but the Jedi will wear him down." Gree replied.

Inside the cell, Gunray was sitting at a table while Master Luminara stood across from him and Will and Ahsoka leaned against the walls of his cell. "Your thoughts betray you, Viceroy. I can sense your concern, the fear that you will lose the wealth and the power that the war has given you." Master Luminara said.

"I…have no idea what you're talking about." Gunray replied, unconvincingly.

Master Luminara closed her eyes and used the force to probe his mind. "You hide a great many things: The names of your secret allies, the locations of their bases."

"I am an innocent pawn in all this." Gunray pleaded causing Will to scoff.

"I think you're confusing innocent with idiotic. Weren't you the person who organized the invasion and takeover of Naboo against Senator Amidala when she was Queen? A completely peaceful planet yet you decided to use your power to launch an invasion and employed the services of that Sith, Darth Maul. It's no wonder you did the same thing years later with Count Dooku and Grievous." Will said when he noticed Gunray's expression. He used the force to sense what the Neimoidian was thinking and it was concern…like there was something he was worried they would figure out about the invasion of Naboo. "What are you hiding, Viceroy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?"

"You're afraid we'll figure something out about the Invasion of Naboo." Will told him and decided to see if he could push him in the right direction. "How did you manage to work alongside Darth Maul? The Sith crave power above all so it makes sense that they would use you as a pawn…but how did you meet them?"

Master Luminara noticed the viceroy was getting more nervous. The Padawan was pushing in the right direction. "Who are you protecting, Viceroy?"

"Nothing! I know nothing!" Gunray lied only for Ahsoka to slam her fist into the table.

"Liar! Liar! I'm tired of all this whining!" She activated her saber and held the green blade close to his neck. "Tell us what we want to know right now, or I will gut you like a Rokarian dirt fish!"

Gunray fell to the floor in fear and probably soiled his pants. Master Luminara grabbed Ahsoka and pulled her away. "Padawan. Terror is not a weapon the Jedi use."

"I wasn't serious." Ahsoka whispered back. "But the only way he'll talk is if he's scared enough."

"Uh, perhaps I was too hasty. Let us negotiate." Gunray pleaded causing Ahsoka to smile only for the ship to rumble from some kind of explosion.

"Captain, status report!" Captain Gree shouted into his comms.

_"__Droid fighters, incoming. They've brought boarding ships."_

"Let us out." Will shouted as Captain Argyus deactivated the ray shields. Once the Jedi were out, he reactivated them to keep the Viceroy secure. "Captain Gree, get Green company ready."

"Yes, General. Green company, prepare to repel the enemy!" Gree ordered over the comms and clones all over the ship maneuvered into defensive positions at key areas on the ship.

"Captain, send an extra squad to the docking bay." Will ordered.

"Yes, sir." Captain Gree replied.

"Why the docking bay?" Ahsoka asked.

"Because the docking bay is the best path for access on the ship and it'll make their boarding access a lot easier. BD-8, patch into a terminal and keep me updated on the droid's progress. I'm heading to the docking bay now." Will said as the droid nodded and scurried down to a nearby terminal before splicing in.

"Padawan, that will not be happening. You will remain here with the Viceroy as your mission dictates." Master Luminara ordered. Before Will could respond, chatter came over the comms from clones in the docking bay. Super Battle droids had broken through and were on their way to the detention level. They needed reinforcements but before any questions could be answered the transmission ended. "Captain Gree, I'll need your help. Come with me."

"Yes, General." Gree replied.

"Right behind you, Master." Ahsoka added.

"You and Padawan Vizsla will stay here with Captain Argyus. Guard the Viceroy." Master Luminara ordered.

"But…" Ahsoka stopped when Will put his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, Master Luminara. Be careful out there." Will told her and she nodded in response before she and Captain Gree left. "There's no point in trying to fight her on this. She's pretty by the books. I should have figured."

"It appears you are in no position to negotiate after all, Jedi." Gunray taunted. "Perhaps after my rescue—"

"Rescue? Maybe they're here to make sure you won't talk." Ahsoka pointed out which make Gunray a little worried.

"Besides, now we can get back to business." Will smirked at the Viceroy who all of a sudden began to get really sweaty. "Considering what's going on, I'll have to do this the hard way."

"Oh, there's no need for that. I very much like doing things the easy way." Gunray pleaded as Will held his hand forward and closed his eyes.

"Tell me what you know. What are you hiding, Viceroy?" Will used the force to probe into his mind and find some answers.

Gunray did his best to keep his secrets hidden from the Jedi's mind tricks but it wasn't easy. "I won't tell you anything."

"Tell me your secrets, Viceroy." Will said again, concentrating harder and was starting to get somewhere. He picked up some errant thoughts and jumbles of words but nothing concrete except for a Separatist holdout on the Planet Vallt in the Outer Rim. Gunray organized the invasion of the planet Vallt and the seizure of Zerpen Industries through the usual means of a Separatist involved Coup. It was likely one of the places Gunray held some of his fortune and resources. "Tell me about Naboo. Who were you working with? How did you meet Darth Maul?"

"Leave me alone!" Gunray shouted.

Before Will could probe any deeper, he sensed something dark and evil closing in. Captain Argyus noticed the Padawan stopped what he was doing. "Is everything all right, Padawan?" He asked only for Will to move away from the cell and walk over to the main control area of the detention block by the doors.

Ahsoka noticed Will seemed to be on edge as he made his way over to the console. "Will, what's wrong?"

"Shh…" Will shushed her as he used the force to concentrate like Obi-wan had taught him. That's when he sensed what was coming.

"Will, what is it?" Ahsoka asked, a little worried about what was wrong with him.

"We've got trouble." He said when he saw a hole being cut into the ceiling. Soon enough a slim figured dropped down to reveal Ventress, the Sith Assassin working for Dooku. She kicked one of the Senate Commandos but before she could kill the other, she was force pushed into the wall by Will.

"Commandos, fall back and protect the Viceroy!" Will shouted as they quickly surrounded his cell with their blasters ready. Will activated his blue lightsaber and held it in front of him in a regular stance while Ahsoka activated her green blade in reverse grip. "I knew I sensed something evil."

"You were right. If it isn't the hairless harpy." Ahsoka joked.

"If it isn't Skywalker's filthy, obnoxious little pet." Ventress shot back.

"Wow, she really doesn't like you." Will said.

"I'll get over it. Tell you what, I'll give you a merciful death." Ahsoka said as Ventress activated her twin red lightsabers and charged forward. Will blocked and parried all her attacks but was lucky to have Ahsoka there to cover his flank. He was good but help was always appreciated.

Will blocked and parried a lunge before striking back with several of his own quick attacks and feints that Ventress parried before moving to attack Ahsoka. Ventress used the Jar'Kai style of lightsaber combat, which essentially meant she used two lightsabers in her techniques to both attack and defend. Will recognized some signs of Makashi type training in her attacks which made sense given she worked for Dooku and he was a Makashi master. Unlucky for her was that Will was well trained in Makashi as well and quickly began meeting her attacks more readily then Ahsoka. He had to cover her side every now and then, but the fight seemed pretty even between the three with Ventress trying to keep the momentum on her side as she began forcing the two padawans into the narrow corridor that led to the Viceroy's cell.

Will blocked attack after attack before he and Ashoka blocked Ventress and were met in a saber lock. "Skywalker's not here to save you now." She taunted.

"Good thing I don't need saving." Ahsoka replied as Ventress caught her leg and forced her into a split while force pushing Will down the corridor. The Sith assassin flipped over Ahsoka and quickly raced towards the Chancellor but Will did a kip-up back to his feet and charged at her. He leapt off the wall of the corridor and lunged at Ventress who quickly blocked his attack but was left open to a kick to the gut. She seethed in anger and swiped at his head but missed as Will wall flipped and slashed at her head. Ventress managed to block but her lunge missed as he side-flipped over her and struck with speed and precision.

Ventress would block and parry but every time she would attack Will would dip, dive, slide, or flip around resulting in her missing. The enclosed space of the corridor was actually making it harder for her to land a hit on him while Will was using his training in Form 4 Ataru to its fullest. He gainer flipped over Ventress's head and slashed at her back, but she blocked and kept swiping at him. While she was fast and highly trained so was Will who had the momentum on his side. He slid forward on his knees and dodged a saber that narrowly skimmed past his face and sliced off a hair when Ahsoka jumped in and the two attacked Ventress from the front and back.

Their fighting worked out long enough for Master Luminara, Captain Gree and a squad of clones to arrive, effectively putting Ventress into an unwinnable situation. Master Luminara activated her green saber and joined the Padawans while the clones and commandos aimed their blasters at the assassin.

"Surrender." Master Luminara told her and shockingly Ventress did. She deactivated and holstered her sabers before holding her hands up to the shock of the viceroy. But despite surrendering she kept a smirk on her face and that's when Will and Master Luminara noticed her gaze on her bracelet that had a blinking red light. Then an explosion rocked the ship and knocked everyone off balance. Ahsoka fell to the ground and Ventress forced pushed Will into Master Luminara. Ventress flipped through the air and slashed at the two but Will raised his Beskar gauntlets which deflected her glancing blow. The assassin deflected clone fire and flipped through the air to jump over them.

Will quickly got back to his feet and charged after the assassin with Master Luminara and Ahsoka following from behind. Ventress force push opened an elevator and jumped down the empty shaft with her sabers acting as climbing claws to slow her descent. Normally Will would have acted rational and not jumped straight after her but his battle mindset and ingrained Mandalorian instincts tended to takeover in a fight and he jumped in straight after her.

"PADAWAN!" Master Luminara shouted as she saw Will jump right after Ventress.

"Let's go." Ahsoka was about to jump after him but Master Luminara stopped her for good reason as the elevator pod soon raced down. She would have been crushed. "Whoa. Thanks."

Will felt the wind rush past his face as he fell down the elevator shaft but that kind of changed when he saw the elevator pod coming after him. Luckily, he saw an opening coming up, so he jumped through it just before he was crushed. He saw a squad of clones dead on the floor. Ventress must have gone through them.

"Damn." Will activated his saber and chased after her. "BD-8, can you track her down?"

BD-8, who was still in the detention area spliced into a terminal but with everything going on he couldn't track her down. The explosion crippled the entire ship and its systems were going haywire so tracking her down was next to impossible unless it was fixed. "All right, it's ok BD-8. Find your way to a communications terminal that's still functioning and see if you can contact Obi-wan for help. We're dead in the water without backup."

His droid gave him an affirmative beep before it scurried away from the detention area to try and find a new communications terminal while he kept up his pursuit of Ventress. He followed her body trail down the halls of the ship until arriving in the engine room where he saw the wreckage of her bombing. They were lucky the reactors didn't overload and blow up the whole ship but there was no way they could fix this without help.

As he stepped into the engine room filled with fire, smoke, and wreckage he kept his saber at the ready and trusted in the force. He couldn't tell where but by the feeling of evil and darkness, Ventress was near. That's when he heard someone else enter the engine room and it was Master Luminara. Ventress then dropped from the ceiling and slashed at her, pushing her back to part of the wreckage and slashed a steam pipe. The steam hit Master Luminara in the face who screamed in pain and back-flipped away to tend to her injured eye.

Ventress activated both her sabers and charged only for Will to swing down from the ceiling and kick her away. She flipped back to her feet as Will adopted a form 3-Soresu stance much like Master Obi-wan with his fingers pointed out and his saber held above his head. Ventress noticed his stance and instantly recognized it as the preferred stance of Obi-wan Kenobi. "Are you all right, Master?"

"Yes, I'll be fine." She told him as she stood up and held her lightsaber ready in her own Soresu stance. While the steam didn't blind her, it did injure her left eye and gave her a handicap in this fight.

"Leave it to a Sith assassin to play dirty." Will mocked.

"And leave it to Obi-wan to find another helpless whelp to train. I've lost all respect for him." Ventress mocked back.

"Considering that you haven't exactly won our fight, is that a joke you want to be making?" Will shot back as Ventress growled and charged forward. The Padawan and Master engaged Ventress in a fight, blocking and parrying all her wild and quick strikes. Master Luminara was a well-known practitioner of Form 3-Soresu and Will was trained by Obi-wan in the style, so they complemented one another in this fight. Both Jedi were using it to block, parry, and guard against Ventress's wild dual wielding form 2-Makashi strikes. Will would normally go on the offensive but seeing that Master Luminara was handicapped by an injured eye, he kept it safe and stayed defensive to cover her and it was working.

Will blocked and parried Ventress's feint before covering Master Luminara's flank who responded with a circle sweep that pushed Ventress back. "Do you think you'll still be able to call on the force after I've separated your head from your body?" Ventress mocked.

"Even with my vision clouded I recognized the fighting style of Count Dooku." Master Luminara said causing Ventress to smirk. "Your version is unrefined, amateurish, sloppy."

"Ouch, that's got to hurt." Will joked as Ventress growled in anger. She charged forward while the two Jedi blocked and parried her anger-induced strikes which wouldn't be difficult expect for the fragile nature of the engine room and the platform they were fighting on. Will kept on parrying and blocking but tried to keep mind of his footwork so he didn't go anyplace unstable or weakening. Ventress noticed this and pushed the two Jedi towards one side of the platform with quick strikes and lunges that both Jedi blocked and parried. After a series of quick circle blocks to the head and torso, Will nearly backstepped off the platform and lost his footing which Ventress tried to capitalize on by taking him out while he was off balance but Master Luminara stopped her attack. Will backflipped off the platform and fired a grapple hook from his gauntlet at the ceiling and swung around. He landed on the other side of the platform when he saw Ventress kick Master Luminara away. The assassin brought her saber down to cleave the Jedi's head in two only for Will to throw his saber and knock her blades off target just in time for Master Luminara to kick Ventress back. Will jumped over to her side and pulled his saber back to his hand.

"You know, for an assassin you're not exactly doing a good job." Will mocked causing Ventress to sneer. The three engaged in another quick duel that didn't seem to have a clear victor before Ventress threw out two force pushes that Will and Master Luminara clashed with. There was a bit of a struggle between the two sides before they were all pushed away from each other but unfortunately Will and Master Luminara were pushed to the unstable side of the platform. Ventress quickly acted and force pushed the platform causing it collapse underneath the Jedi's feet and sent them falling to the wreckage below.

Will grabbed Master Luminara's hand and fired his grapple hook at the platform which was too loose to hold both their weight and broke, sending them both to the ground in a thud. Ventress followed that up by jumping high into the air and slicing several large pipes into pieces. Will noticed the pipes coming down from the ceiling and quickly acted, getting close to Master Luminara and called on the force to hold the pipes in the air just inches from their heads. While it worked and they weren't squished, several other pipes had fallen and one rolled onto Master Luminara's leg, trapping her. The Master couldn't find her saber and the Padawan was too focused on keeping the other pipes from crushing them to help and judging by the strain on his face he needed to stay focused or they were deader than a clawbird stuck in a Gundark pit.

Ventress jumped down onto the ground and smiled in delight at the two helpless Jedi. Revenge was sweet. "And now you two fall, as all Jedi must." She lunged through the air but was force pushed away and slid into an empty pipe. Master Luminara looked and saw Ahsoka arrive just in time. She rushed over and used her saber to slice off part of the pipe that was trapping her.

"I know, I know you told me to stay." Ahsoka said as she handed Luminara her saber.

"Well, as long as you're here." Master Luminara replied when Ventress crawled out of the pipe and activated both her sabers ready to fight all three Jedi but Will decided to intervene. He dug deep and called on the force to his aid with a mighty roar.

"ARRRGHHH!" He heaved the pipes at Ventress who went wide-eyed and quickly dove for cover to avoid being squished. Will collapsed to his knees in exhaustion as Ahsoka knelt to help him and Master Luminara watched with both intrigue and astonishment. Doing what the Padawan did required a great deal of training, concentration and connection to the force. Obi-wan had quite the new Padawan under his tutelage.

"What took you so long, Ace?" Will asked, taking deep heavy breaths to try and recover from that exhaustive ordeal.

"Well, if you hadn't gone off by yourself like you always do, Mando then we wouldn't be in this mess." She shot back as she helped him up to his feet. Master Luminara noticed Ventress crawl out from under a pipe and jump away.

"We must pursue her. We can't let her get to Gunray."

The two Padawans nodded as they followed Master Luminara back up to the main platform area. They kept their lightsabers ready and watched for anything out of the ordinary. They did notice a piece of wreckage moving about but it was only the mechanical droid 327T who provided maintenance over the engine room. Once he was freed from the wreckage he went about his duties.

"Ahsoka."

"What happened to Padawan Tano?" Ahsoka asked.

"This assassin…I've never faced an adversary like her. I should have heeded your advice. And thank you Will for your aid." Master Luminara said as Will nodded.

"I'll admit that I was a little headstrong in chasing after her but I'm glad I did and was there to help you." Will replied.

"Master, I don't mean to overstep my bounds but—" "_General Unduli!"_

Ahsoka was cut off by Master Luminara's commlink_. "General Unduli, we've been betrayed. Argyus has freed Gunray."_

"I've been a fool." Master Luminara said.

"Let's get back there." Ahsoka said as all three raced back to the entrance only for an errant pipe to come out of nowhere. Master Luminara sliced it in two as Ventress jumped down with her sabers ready. She wasn't about to let the Jedi interfere in the plan.

"Padawan Vizsla, head back to the detention area. Ahsoka and I will handle this. Do not let Gunray escape." Master Luminara ordered.

"Right." Will replied as Ventress charged forward but Will fired his repulsors and the shockwave knocked her back. Will backflipped into the air as Ahsoka and Master Luminara took his place while he ran as fast as he could. He exited the engine room and ran with purpose to the detention area while contacting BD-8 on his vambrace communicator. "BD-8, any luck on contacting backup?"

BD-8 beeped and booped, saying that he managed to find a functioning communication terminal and send out a distress signal. Time would tell when they would get backup. "Ok, great job buddy but we've got a new problem. Captain Argyus is trying to free Gunray. Find a control panel and lock down all escape pods and the hangar bay." BD-8 gave him an all right but with the ships systems still in disarray he wasn't hopeful. "Just do what you can, buddy!"

He made it to the elevators but with the ship's systems still in disarray he had to use his grapple claw to climb up the elevator shaft. When he got there, he saw Captain Gree on the ground and Gunray gone.

"Captain!" Will rushed over and helped him up as the clone rubbed his head.

"I'm sorry, sir. I tried to stop him." Captain Gree told him.

"It's not your fault. We should have just taken the shuttle and flown straight back to…" Will stopped for a second and realized where Captain Argyus was going. "The shuttle!"

He raced away and made it for the ship's lower hangar bay where the Republic shuttle was docked. He channeled the force to move faster than normal and used his saber to slice through any doors that were locked. He raced over to the hangar bay just as the shuttle disengaged from the docking clamp and flew away. "Dammit!" Will seethed in frustration as he saw Gunray and Captain Argyus get away. So much for finally getting ahead of the Separatists. And what's worse is that Captain Argyus was a senate commando, the people charged with protecting the senate and the Chancellor, the best of the best. They seriously needed to do some internal review on their soldiers.

Soon enough another Star destroyer arrived with repair teams that began fixing the damage in the engine room along with the rest of the ship's systems. Once the communications were back in working order Master Luminara and the Padawans contacted Master Yoda, Master Skywalker, and Master Kenobi and informed them what happened.

"By the time I got to the detention area they had already left. I raced to the hangar bay, but the ship was gone." Will told them.

"I'm sorry that despicable wealth-worm Gunray got away." Ahsoka said.

_"__It's ok, Snips. I know you did your best."_ Anakin assured her but was still disappointed at the Viceroy's escape.

_"__Troubling is the treachery of the Senate guard, Captain Argyus. Revealed all around us, our enemies are."_ Yoda said.

_"__We've already informed the Chancellor who's already implemented a full investigation into the senate guard. If there are any others like Captain Argyus we'll find them."_ Obi-wan added.

"I'm not sure all it lost. Gunray and his accomplices stole our republic Cruiser which can be tracked." Master Luminara told them.

_"__A coward, Viceroy Gunray is but power allies he has. Swiftly we must move if we are to recapture him."_ Yoda said.

"Master Fisto's fleet was near Gunray's position. I've already contacted him to follow the signal." Master Luminara said.

"And I have some more good news as well." Will said, pressing a few buttons on the console to activate the star charts and bring up the outer rim map. "Before Ventress attacked I managed to extract some information from Gunray."

_"__What kind of information?"_ Anakin asked.

"Not much. I was hoping to find some information about who he's working with but instead I got some information on one of his own personal holdouts in the outer rim." Will brought up an image of the planet Vallt. "Nute Gunray organized the Separatist coup of King Chai by Marshal Phara in exchange for control of the planet mining rights and construction along with the local branch of Zerpen Industries."

_"__What is Zerpen Industries?"_ Obi-wan asked.

"Zerpen Industries is a research lab specializing in synthetic energy research and use. Mostly for power but that research could easily be used for weapons. Gunray's using the planet to develop new weapons as well as a holdout for resources and part of his fortune. Unlucky for him, I was able to get some valuable intel like communication channels, access codes, ship placements and things like that." Will said causing the Jedi to smile.

_"__Which would make launching an attack a lot easier."_ Anakin said.

"I figured with Gunray escaping, we could at least make it cost him and the Separatists by taking a pawn off their board." Will suggested.

_"__A sound strategy. We'll begin the preparations when you return. Well done, my Padawan."_ Obi-wan said as Wil bowed his head.

_"__Ahsoka, we'll meet at the rendezvous coordinates and see if we can help."_ Anakin said before he and Obi-wan signed off.

_"__Well done, Padawans. Much adversity you faced, yet stronger it has made you. Remember, trust in the force and let it guide you, you must."_ Yoda reminded them.

"Yes, Master Yoda." Ahsoka and Will said with a bow as Yoda signed off as well.

"I guess this is where we part ways, Master Luminara." Ahsoka said.

"Indeed. I am alive today because of both of you. You have my utmost gratitude and I wish you luck in your training. Your masters should be proud of both of you." She told them.

"Thank you, Master." Ahsoka and Will bid her farewell as they went along their separate paths.

Line Break xxxxx

**22BBY: Outer Rim**

The _Negotiator_ along with two other Venator-class Star Destroyers were traversing through the Outer Rims on their way to Planet Vallt. Normally trying to take down a Separatist controlled planet would be too risky but with the intel Will managed to recover from Nute Gunray, it seemed feasible. That and given that there was a Zerpen Industries lab on the planet now under the control of the Separatists, the risk of them developing a new weapon had to be taken into consideration. Master Obi-wan Kenobi and the 212th clone attack Battalion would lead the attack alongside Master Ram Kota and the specialized 441st regiment. Rahm Kota led his own specialized unit of non-clones into combat. Made up of recruits from planetary defense forces, militias, and former mercenaries, they were highly trained and skilled. Anakin and Ahsoka were needed elsewhere so it would just them for now, but Will did manage to contact Kal Skirata and get Omega squad loaned out for the mission, so things were looking up for them.

Master Kenobi, Master Kota, Will, Niner, and Admiral Block were on the bridge at a console to discuss the battle plans for their assault.

"From what I was able to gather from Nute Gunray, Planet Vallt has three Separatists ships in orbit as protection. One _Lucrehulk_-class Droid Control ship with two _Munificent_-class star frigates to act as protection here and here." Will pointed to opposite ends of the planet where they were placed. The Lucrehulk was on one side while the Munificent frigates were on the other. "Not exactly the best approach to keep a planet safe but Gunray isn't known to be the best commander."

"And the ground forces?" Kota asked.

"A Separatist battalion to act as ground forces for protecting Zerpen Industries along with a placement of J-1 proton cannons here near the main docking yard." Will pointed out on the map.

"Those guns are going to make landing our troops next to impossible unless we take them out." Obi-wan said.

"But we're also going to be dealing with local resistance from the Iron Gauntlet legion made up of the local Valltii warriors." Will pressed some buttons to bring up images of the Valltii species. They had ice blue skin, were stout and heavy with large found faces and jaws designed to chew meat. Their heavy arms made them excellent laborers along with skilled fighters. "They follow the command of the leader of the capital which is the Separatists but if we arrive to help, they could back us. Not only that, but from what I saw in Gunray's mind, the Separatist takeover wasn't exactly welcome by everyone. Those droids are there to mainly keep the scientists and citizens in check."

"That's going to make things much more complicated. If we try any standard offensive, we risk this turning into a deadly hostage situation." Niner commented. "Not to mention the terrain of the place isn't the best."

"Well, I checked with Republic databases and Vallt is a snow and ice planet like Ilum. Half of the planet is covered in ice during most of the year except for the northern half which is where the capital city Tambolor is and where the Zerpen Industries lab is located. That's where the Separatists droids are located." Will explained, bringing up old holographic maps of the city and the lab when Zerpen Industries registered for their permit. "We can use the permit and holographic blueprints to plan our entrance into the facility."

"I can take Omega team and lead an assault through utility tunnels and ventilation shafts at the bottom of canyon here. The Separatists won't be guarding those areas and it'll let us find out what they're working on." Niner planned out. "Not to mention we could take their hostages out of the equation."

"A sound plan but we'll still have to land in the city and our shuttles won't have the best shot getting past those cannons." Kota summarized.

"Maybe if we get inside the city and their base this battle would be a lot easier?" Will suggested. "I didn't think it was that important, but I did also get Gunray's personal landing code for the planet. Maybe play a little undercover operation to get down there? We could use Gunray's personal landing code to sneak into the main city and gain access."

"How would that work?" Admiral Block questioned.

"Well, we could say that one of us if an emissary for Viceroy Gunray who, after his near capture by the Republic is sending his agents to investigate his holdings. Gunray's a slimy worm and half the time we had him captured he was worried about his wealth." Will explained.

"I'd buy that. Gunray's a coward and while he's on the run it would make sense. He's the kind of person who would want to make sure his holdings are being looking after. We could use that to gain access to the city and Zerpen Labs and lower their defenses. Then while the fleet engages the Separatists in space, we can make sure the hostages are secure and take out those proton cannons." Master Kota finished.

"Well then who's going down there?" Obi-wan asked.

"Normally I'd suggest you Master Kenobi, but you're already pretty well known so the odds of you being recognized are pretty high. Master Kota should go down. He's scary enough to pass off as an enforcer." Will realized what he said and saw Master Kota glaring at him. "Sorry."

"The Padawan's point does make some sense but it won't work if we show up in a republic shuttle." Kota said, getting back to the planning and Obi-wan got an idea.

"Well, perhaps a former Separatist ship might be a better idea and we happen to have one in the fighter bay." Obi-wan told him.

"The Tempest was in the hands of the Separatists before I got it back so that could work. And it's not exactly standard Republic issue. I'll be able to pilot her down here." Will assured them.

"All right, then I think we've got a plan." Niner said. "While we take the city from the inside, General Kenobi will handle our forces up here and prevent the Separatists from reinforcing their ground troops."

"Catch them off guard. Sounds like a plan." Obi-wan replied. "We'll wait for your signal."

"Right, let's get ready." Master Kota said as he, Niner, and Will left to get ready.

"Padawan…" Obi-wan stopped Will from leaving so the two could talk alone for a moment. "Are you ready for this?"

"To go undercover on a Separatist controlled planet and free the inhabitants? Not really but does anything ever prepare you for that?" Will questioned causing Obi-wan to chuckle.

"Touché." Obi-wan put his hand on Will's shoulder and got serious for a moment. "But this is serious. I'm proud of the progress you've made in the short time we've spent together but like I've said before, not amount of experience can prepare you for anything you might face. Be careful, listen to Master Kota and trust in the force."

"Yes, Master. I'll make you proud." Will told him.

"I have faith you will." Obi-wan replied as they shook hands before Will left to get ready.

After about half-an-hour of prepping, the go team for the planet infiltration was ready. Will and Master Kota were wearing regular clothes to mascaraed as a pilot/servant and Gunray's envoy respectively. Kota's men were dressed up in mercenary gear to act at the crew of the ship and as Kota's protection while Omega team and the Rathtar squad were the only ones clad in snowtrooper armor.

"Ok, since everyone's here how about we go over the plan one last time." Niner said as BD-8 projected a holographic image of the city and the Zerpen Facilities. "Assuming this plan works, and the Separatist believe we're working for Gunray, we'll probably be directed down to the capital city. On the way there, the ship will slow down here where Rathtar squad and Omega will disembark and make our way to the utility tunnels there. Once we gain access, we'll make our way into laboratories, recovery any intel we can and secure any hostages."

"While they do that, we'll be making the direct approach. Once we land, we keep up with the charade as long as we can. Half of the team will stay with the ship and the weapons while the Padawan and I will be escorted into the facility. When we give the signal, take out those proton cannons and signal the fleet to begin the attack." Master Kota added.

"And in case something happens with our communications, I've instructed BD-8 on a backup plan. Once we land, he'll infiltrate the facility and keep an eye on us. If they figure out what we're up to and we're compromised or they disrupt our communications, he'll be able to run interference." Will finished. "Best of luck everyone and may the force be with you."

They all boarded the Tempest with their gear, ready and willing if the mission went sideways. The clones readied their armor and weapons, ready for any kind of firefight. This was going to be interesting as Hevy, Echo, and Fives would be working with Omega squad and Will told them to follow Niner's lead. Will and Master Kota got situated in the cockpit of the Tempest as they and BD-8 got the ship ready to launch. Flips and switches were set as the engines powered up along with the other systems. BD-8 got situated into his specialized droid cockpit so he could more easily interface with the ship's systems.

"Ready, Master Kota?" Will asked.

"Ready."

"Ok, here we go." Will piloted the SX light Corellian freighter out of the _Negotiators_ hangar and into space. He did some final checks while BD-8 set the navi-computer and the hyper drive. "Tempest to Negotiator, we are ready for hyperspace jump."

_"__Negotiator to Tempest, acknowledge. Best of luck, Commander."_ Admiral Block told him.

"Likewise, Admiral. We'll see you on the other side." Will said as he pulled the hyper drive lever and the ship flew out of the area at lightspeed. It took only about a minute for them to arrive at their destination and exited their hyperspace jump in Vallt space. The Separatist ships were in visual range and they were likely already picked up by their scanners.

**_"_****_Unidentified ship, you are trespassing in Separatist space. Identify yourself or you will be subjected to lethal action."_** A droid voice spoke over an incoming transmission.

"All right, let's hope this works." Will replied before opening up a communication line. "This is pilot Anton Wor of the Tempest, transporting delegate Eras Vix on behalf of Viceroy Nute Gunray to inspect his holdings. Transmitting landing code now."

The Tempest kept on at a normal pace through space while the crew waited for the Separatists response. BD-8 looked at Will and beeped curiously. "I know, buddy. They better buy this, or our problems are just starting." Will replied.

On the command deck of the _Lucrehulk_-Battle station, the droids were busy doing their due diligence on their regular orders and commands when the mysterious freighter arrived. **_"TX-75, what's the problem?"_** The command droid asked.

**_"_****_An unidentified ship has entered the sector. They say they are here on orders from Viceroy Gunray to inspect the base."_** A technician battle droid replied.

**_"_****_Do they have a landing code?"_** The command droid asked.

"**_Yes, they're using Viceroy Gunray's personal landing code."_** The droid replied.

"**_Hail them again."_** The command droid ordered.

**_"_****_Right away."_**

Back on the Tempest, the crew were beginning to get a little nervous as there had been no response from the Separatists. "Do you think our cover is blown?" Will asked.

"No. If it was, they'd have already opened fire on us." Kota replied when another communications line came in.

**_"_****_Freighter Tempest, is Viceroy Gunray present with you_**?" The droid asked so Will came up with a quick lie.

"Negative. Viceroy Gunray is still on the run from Republic forces after evading capture by the Jedi. He's sent us and other agents to monitor his holdings in his stead." Will replied, hoping it would be enough to convince the droids to at least let them onto the planet.

There was a bit of a pause for about a minute until they got a response. "**_Proceed to Tambolor city, docking bay 7." _**The droid replied.

"Roger that. Docking bay 7." Will said, piloting his way down to the planet. "Thank the force that actually worked."

"Indeed." Master Kota replied before pressing the intercom button. "All right, we're coming up on Vallt. Get ready."

Omega team and Rathtar squad readied their guns and made their way to the freighter ramp. "We're ready on our end." Niner shouted.

"Copy that." Will replied as the Tempest entered Vallt atmosphere and was instantly hit with the cold wind and snow of the native climate. "BD-8, divert backup power to thermal regulators. I don't want our systems freezing up."

BD-8 gave an affirmative beep as the Tempest flew down and hovered over the snow-covered landscape that made up a bulk of the planet's topography. Will slowed down a bit and hit a switch that deployed the freighter's loading ramp. "All right, Niner we're coming up on the drop site."

"Roger that. We'll keep in contact and let you know if something goes wrong. Best of luck, Commander." Niner told him as he and the clones readied to jump.

"Same to you. _Parjir." _Will said, the last word being Mando'a meaning _be victorious._

_"__Oya."_ The clones replied, having learned Mando'a from either Kal or Will and it meant _stay alive._

"All right, get ready…" Will lowered the ship a little closer to the ground. "And go!"

The clones filed out two by two and jumped from the ramp, landing in the snow and quickly blending into their environment. Once the last clone made the jump, he retracted the ramp and resumed normal speed towards the city. Echo and Atin checked their scanners to make sure there weren't any probe droids or sensors to pick them up. Atin then signaled Niner they were clear.

"All right, let's move." Niner led the way as the clones made their way through the snow-covered land to the cavern where the utility tunnels were located. The snow made it harder than normal to traverse the land, but they booked it as fast as they could until they reached the cavern and then used grapple cables to lower themselves down to the tunnels.

Will piloted the Tempest over to the capital city that was encased in a dome similar to the cities on Rodia that protected the inhabitants from the harsh wind and cold. The city's architecture was similar to that of planets like Tatooine or Ryloth where it was created by using natural elements of the planet, in this case cold-tempered granite and stone but was supplemented with off-world metal structures. The Zerpen facilities were the only exception as they were built by the engineers of the company for maximum security and protection.

Part of the dome retracted allowing the Tempest into the city as Will piloted it over to the docking area where he saw other ships, cargo and four J-1 proton cannons manned by a few droids. He saw some utility droids signaling him down to land at an empty spot, so he did. Phase one of their plan: complete. Time for phase two. Will shut down the ship's systems and BD-8 made sure to secure everything while Master Kota went to talk to his men. Half were hidden away in the hidden floorboard compartments to wait for the signal while the other half were acting as security. Best to have some surprise backup when things started.

Will joined Master Kota as the two disembarked the Tempest via the ramp and were met with a battle droid patrol along with several Valltii warriors dressed in black and gold armor and carrying heavy blasters. With them was a Valltii administrator dressed in regal clothes. "Greeting, delegate Eras Vix. I am Urot, attendee of Marshal Phara. She welcomes you to Vallt and hope your travel here was worry free."

"It was quite pleasant thanks to my servant. Anton is a skilled pilot for someone so young and managed to keep us out of the way of the Republic forces. So, shall we begin? Viceroy Gunray expects my report before the next cycle." Master Kota said, playing into his role.

"Of course, follow me." Urot took lead with Will and Master Kota following while the Valltii warriors traveled with them. The droids stayed with the ship and helped the disguised crew secure it along with refueling and providing security. BD-8 climbed down one of the landing gear legs and scurried away quickly and quietly while avoiding droid patrols as he made its way into the city.

Will and Master Kota were escorted past the docking gates and into the city where they saw a lot more droids present, keeping the civilian population in check who were a mix moss of various species. They seemed liked peaceful, hardworking laborers but the droid's constant presence and authority seemed to hamper their day. Many workers and engineers were being harassed by droids and from what he could hear, on order by Marshall Phara. Clearly, the Separatists were taking advantage of the planets laborers and the Zerpen Industries lab.

Just as they entered city's keep, Will's communicator blinked which relayed the message to the earbud he had hidden in his left ear. "_Commander, we've breached the utility tunnels and are making our way into the bottom of the labs. We'll keep you updated."_

He subtly stretched and cracked his arms which allowed him to press a button that signaled back, essentially saying understood. Inside the keep were more Valltii warriors and even more droids who were set to their task of keeping watch over the local populace and workers. They were escorted through the keep until they came to the throne room where Marshal Phara sat in the chair. She was a young Valltii woman dressed in regal robes with a crown of crystalized ice and stone on her head. She's the one who led the coup against the Republic backed King Chai with military help from the Separatists and was installed as the planet's new leader. Beside her was Chieftain Gruppe who was the leader of the native Valltii people. An older Valltii female who led and represented her people on the planet. She was wearing old armor that indicated her time as a warrior.

"Greetings Eras Vix and welcome to Vallt. I am Marshal Phara and this is Chieftain Gruppe." Marshal Phara greeted as Kota and Will bowed their heads in response.

"Thank you, Marshal Phara. This is my young ward and pilot, Anton Wor." Kota greeted.

"Greetings." Will bowed his head.

"Apologies for the small delay, the wind made our travels here a tad bit troubling." Kota replied.

"Of course. Forgive me, Lord Vix but we were not expecting your arrival. Usually Viceroy Gunray appears himself to inspect his holdings." Marshal Phara said.

"And in most circumstances that would be the case but Viceroy Gunray's recent escape from Republic forces leaves him incapable of performing these checks by himself at the current moment. As you can only imagine, the Republic's search for Viceroy Gunray is rather extensive." Kota explained, playing into his role perfectly. "So, he has sent his agents in his stead to ensure that things are running smoothly. Perhaps we can get started, he'll want my report before the next cycle."

"Of course, whatever the Viceroy needs. Follow me, your ward can stay with your ship." Marshal Phara told him.

"Of course. Anton, wait with the ship until I complete my business." Kota told him as the two shared a look before Marshal Phara led the way along with a contingent of droids and Valltii warriors through the palace. Guess it was time to improvise.

A squad of droids escorted Will back to the ship but when they were near an alley and out of sight, he dropped a droid popper to the ground.

**_"_****_What's that?"_** A droid asked only for it to go off and an EMP disabled the four battle droids. Will quickly dashed into the alley and used the force to take the droids with him, just in time before they were spotted. He took a security key from one of the droids before dumping their bodies into an empty crate.

He triple-checked to make sure the coast was clear before opening an encrypted communications channel to the others. "All right, everyone. The plan's changed a little bit. Kota and I are separated so I'm going to head into the palace to find any information and prisoners I can. Ground team, wait for the signal to take out those cannons and remember to stick to droid poppers. There are civilians here so watch your fire. Niner, what's your status?"

_"__We've breached the lab and quietly took out a few droids that were guarding some scientists and researchers. They were glad to see us. They're instructed us on the best path through the facilities and where the other scientists are."_ Niner replied.

"Roger that. Be careful. The second things go bad, we spring the trap. BD-8, standby buddy." Will said and got a beep in response. He peaked out of the alley and saw two droids heading his way, so he waited until they crossed and then force sped past them. One of the droids turned around because it heard a whish but saw nothing.

He quickly and quietly made his way through the city, stealthy placing a few extra droid poppers near large droid groups in crowed places. That's when he saw the heavily guarded and fortified building in the eastern part of the city near the palace. It was the Vallt security complex, their prison. With Marshal Phara having taken control, that's probably where she imprisoned Republic sympathizers. Felt like a good place as any to do some recon.

The droids around the Vallt security complex moved around in predictable patrol patterns so when a squad of four walked past a vent, he quickly covered the distance and crawled through. A little snug but he managed to work his way through the vent and made his way into the security complex. Unfortunately, the vent didn't lead to the central control room but to one of the cells. It was a typical cramped cell but a large open one similar to an apartment but smaller. Inside was a bed, desk, a bathroom, and various books and a holo-table to work at. Honestly it seemed like the heaven of prison cells. Sitting at the desk was a brown-haired 30-year old human male. Will couldn't pick up any ill tidings or evil feelings from him so there was a good chance he was someone who could help.

He quickly jumped through the vent and landed in the prison cell, smashing the internal camera during the fall. Before the prisoner could shout, Will closed the distance and covered his mouth so he didn't scream. "Don't scream and don't do anything. I'm Padawan Will Vizsla of the Jedi order. Master Rahm Kota and I are here on Vallt to help liberate the planet. Now, I'm going to move my hand so please keep it down." The prisoner nodded as Will removed his hand. "What's your name?"

"Galen, Galen Erso. I'm a scientist with Zerpen Industries. Thank god you're here." Galen thanked him.

"Galen, what are you doing here? Why are you in prison?" Will asked.

"I'm here because my wife Lyra and I tried to escape when the Separatists first came but we were caught. I'm being kept here, I don't know where my wife is. They've been keeping me here since I refuse to use my work for the Separatists." Galen told him.

"What work? What are the Separatists doing down in Zerpen Industries?" Will wondered.

"My work has been on synthetic crystals and energy research. I thought that I could create new forms of energy that would improve and help the galaxy, but the Separatists have been trying to adapt my research into weapons. It's why I've refused to work for them and why they've taken my wife hostage." Galen informed him.

"All right, well don't worry. We're here now. Are there any other prisoners?" Will asked.

"Just the people loyal to King Chai. Marshal Phara had them imprisoned when the Separatists helped her take power." Galen said when they heard incoming footsteps. Will quickly put the vent back into the place and hid behind the door as it opened and in walked Chieftain Gruppe with a plate of food.

"Lunch time, Galen. I even managed to sneak in some Yuzu juice." Gruppe said as she entered. Once the door closed, Will activated his saber and pointed it at her head.

"Don't move." Will warned her.

"Wait, master Jedi! Don't hurt her!" Galen pleaded as Gruppe turned to see the pilot who accompanied Viceroy's representative with a lightsaber.

"So, I'm guessing that you and Viceroy's representative don't actually work with the Separatists?" Gruppe asked.

"She's one of the good ones. She and a few others aren't a threat. You can trust her. She doesn't like the Separatists are here either." Galen pleaded. "Gruppe, he's a Jedi."

"You're a Jedi?" Gruppe asked. "You're a little small to be a Jedi."

"Don't worry, I'm still growing." Will deactivated his saber and holstered it. "And Galen's right. The elderly gentleman I was with was another Jedi. We're here to help liberate the planet and to stop whatever the Separatists are doing down in the Zerpen Labs."

"Well, I hope you snuck in an army because the two of you won't be enough." Gruppe told him.

"We have a small task force, but the rest of our forces are waiting for a signal to ambush the fleet in space. We just need to take out those proton cannons and secure any hostages before we start. One of them being Galen's wife. Do you know where she is?" Will asked.

"She's being kept in a spare room in the keep. She's all right at the moment but under guard." Gruppe told him. "So, do you have a plan, master Jedi?"

"You're with us, Chieftain?" Will asked and she nodded. "All right, well first things first would be to make sure Galen's wife is safe so I'm going to head to the keep and try to find her. To do that, we're gonna need a distraction. Niner, what's your status?"

He didn't hear anything over the comms but did hear the sound of blaster fire and then a city-wide alarm went off. "Oh, that's not good." Galen said.

"Niner, do you hear me? Echo? Fives? Hevy?" Will shouted.

_"__Sir, the clankers found us! We're taking heavy fire but we're still alive. We're on the main level of the facility! We need backup!"_ Fives shouted.

Chieftain group got a message on her communicator. "More droids are heading there now." She told him.

"They're gonna need help. Chieftain, your warriors ready for a fight?" Will asked.

"Against, the droids? Definitely." She told him.

"All right. Fives, backup is on its way. I'll join you as soon as I can." He said.

_"__Roger that, sir!"_ Fives replied.

"Ground team, execute plan and take out those cannons! Then secure the docking yards." Will ordered.

_"__Roger that."_ They replied.

"I'll find Lyra and get her someplace safe. Best of luck." Will exited the prison cell and raced towards the exit while Chieftain Gruppe signaled her warriors.

Outside the prison complex, nearby civilians were wondering what was going on to warrant the city-wide alarm and the movement of the battle droids. Soon enough, blaster fire and an alarm could be heard inside the prison by the main gates. The droids stationed outside the prison complex's main doors were confused as to what was going on inside the prison.

**_"_****_What's going on in there? Is there a prison riot?"_** One droid asked.

**_"_****_Don't be ridiculous. There's no one stupid to try and revolt against us."_** Another droid told it only for something to bust open one of the doors from the inside. Before the droids could do anything, a blue blur zoomed out and sliced them into pieces very quickly. The dust settled to showcase Will standing there with his saber ignited. Several nearby droid patrols opened fire at him, so he blocked and deflected the blaster bolts back at them before pressing a button on his gauntlet which activated the nearby droid poppers and disabled several groups of droids. He force-pushed some droids into the wall and threw his saber into the face plate of a super battle droid that rendered it into scrap. The nearby civilians who saw Will act cheered in celebration as he force-jumped away and to the keep but not before pressing another button on his gauntlet to signal the Republic fleet.

At the docks, the droids quickly began to leave and make their way to Zerpen labs where the alarm started only for several droid poppers to take them out. The disguised work crew on the Tempest took out their blasters and took out the rest of the droids in a surprise attack while the hidden soldiers on the ship raced out to back up their compatriots. Catching the droids by surprise was one sure fire way to take them out. A squad of soldiers made their way to the proton cannons, blasting the droids in their way and manned one of them. The gunner aimed and used the cannon to take out the nearby vulture droids before they could deploy. One blast and they were reduced to rubble. Droid tanks soon arrived so the team abandoned the cannons and used thermal detonators on the proton shells to blow the guns up while militia soldiers with rocket launchers blasted the tanks. They quickly began securing the docks.

Up in space, word of the attacks in the city had finally made it to the droid commander. **_"Sir, our forces in the capital city are under attack. They've already taken out our proton cannons and our ground star fighters."_**

**_"_****_Launch star fighters and deploy troop transports to support our forces."_** The command droid ordered only for an alarm to go off. "**_Oh, what now?"_**

**_"_****_Sir, we've got incoming Republic ships."_** A technical droid said just as three Republic _Venator_-class Star Destroyers appeared from hyperspace along with two companies of Y-wing bombers and V-torrent interceptors and opened fire on the _Lucrehulk_-class Droid Control ship and two _Munificent_-class star frigates, catching them off guard. The bombers and interceptors sped towards the Separatists ships. They managed to destroy several droid starfighters while the Star Destroyers blasted the larger ships to provide cover. While that was going on, several LAAT gunships made their way to the surface of the planet to provide backup.

Back in Tambolor city, battle droids were engaged in a fire fight against the trapped Omega team and Rathtar squad who were holed up near the main entrance of Zerpen Labs. The clones fired back at the droids from cover but were under heavy fire. Fives peaked out and fired his DC-15A blaster rifle, blasting the head off a battle droid before he ducked back behind cover and saw the group of scientists and engineers that they rescued huddled in an office for cover. Hevy and Niner were laying down the heavy suppressive fire but then they saw an AAT-1 battle tank come into view.

"Tank!" Hevy shouted.

"Darman, take it out before it takes us out! Everyone else, give him cover fire!" Niner ordered.

Darman quickly changed his DC-17m blaster into his anti-armor setting and loaded a grenade. He dove from his cover and rolled behind an empty desk to get a better view, just making it before a blaster bolt hit him.

**"****Push forward!"** A battle droid shouted as they kept inching closer and closer. "**_Tank operator, blast those clones!"_**

The droid didn't get a response, instead the heavy laser cannon on the AAT-1 tank turned until it was aimed right at it. "**_Uh oh."_**

The heavy laser cannon fired and blew up the battle droid and several others with it before the four lateral laser turrets opened fire and blasted the rest of the droids that were attacking the labs.

"Hold your fire!" Niner shouted as they saw the droid tank take out the rest of the battle droids rather quickly. Some shot back but the armor on the tank was able to take it until the last droid was destroyed. The tank then shut down and sat there in the middle of the carnage. The clones cautiously stepped out of cover and made their way forward, double checking their sectors for any droids still functioning, but they were all destroyed. They kept their guns set on the tank incase something happened. The hatch on the front cockpit opened up and out jumped BD-8 who gave a happy beep and waved at the clones.

"BD-8?" Fives, Hevy, and Echo were beyond shocked to see the little droid had just saved their lives.

"Isn't that the commander's droid?" Fi asked.

"Yes, it is, and he just saved our asses." Echo replied.

"That there is the best droid in the entire galaxy." Atin commented causing BD-8 to chuckle before disembarking the tank and climbing onto Five's shoulder.

Will force-jumped and flipped through the air and landed near the keep where he saw several Valltii warriors fighting against the droids in a fire fight. He ran across the roof of a building before using his grapple hook to swing down and fire a wrist rocket that blew some droids to pieces. He released his grapple hook at the apex of his swing and landed on the ground, releasing a force-push that knocked out more droids and let the Valltii soldiers push their attack and take out more droids. Will and the Valltii soldiers made their way into the keep, destroying a few more droids when they split ways. The Valltii went left while he went right to find and secure Galen's wife, Lyra. He raced down a hall and turned a corner only to run into a several battle droids and super battle droids with their guns trained on him. Behind all them were Marshal Phara and Master Kota. Guess his cover hasn't been blown yet.

"That's far enough, Jedi." Marshal Phara taunted. "All the damage you've caused in my city will cost me quite a lot to fix. I'll just take it out on you. I'm sure Count Dooku will pay me handsomely when I tell him I've captured a Jedi. Now surrender."

"Sorry, but I don't plan to." Will replied, firing both repulsors on his gauntlets and knocking several of the droids to the ground before diving away and rolling behind a wall for cover. Rahm Kota force-pushed Marshal Phara into the wall before pulling out his saber and activating the green blade, slicing several droids in quick succession. He moved quickly, efficiently, and with large strikes that allowed him to destroy multiple droids in one swing. Having caught the droids off guard, he managed to wipe out a lot of them with ease when the super battle droids by the front turned their blasters on him. Before they could fire on Master Kota, Will slid forward on his knee and sliced two of them in half before spinning around and doing a diagonal slash that sliced another droid in two. Rahm Kota finished off the last droid with a saber throw through its face plate.

Marshal Phara shook her head from the impact against the wall and saw a discarded droid blaster on the ground. She lifted to aim but it was sliced in half by Master Kota who then held his saber to her face. "Surrender." He told her only for the sound of heavy footsteps to get louder and then a squad of Valltii warriors armed with blasters arrived led by Chieftain Gruppe.

"Chieftain Gruppe, arrest these Jedi!" Marshal Phara ordered.

Kota was a little concerned about a new firefight, but Will and the Chieftain shared a look before she and her guards pointed their guns at Marshal Phara. "Marshal Phara, you are under arrest for the murder of King Chai and allying with the Separatists. Take her into custody."

One of her warriors stepped forward and put binder cuffs on her. "You've made a mistake, traitor!" Marshal Phara cursed.

Will's communicator beeped with a message from the fleet. "Padawan Vizsla reporting."

_"__Padawan Vizsla, this is Admiral Block. We've caught the Separatists by surprise and their ships are destroyed. We've descended to the planet now."_ Admiral Block reported causing Will and Kota to smile while Marshal Phara frowned.

"Roger that, Admiral. Nice job. We'll see you soon." Will replied. "Guess things aren't going your way Marshal, are they? Do you have this handled Master Kota? I've got something to do."

"Go, I'll handle her." Kota assured him so Will left to go find Galen's wife Lyra who was currently being escorted by three droids out of her room in a last-ditch attempt to escape. They were going at a slow pace because Lyra was very pregnant. Unfortunately, they turned into a hallway and ran into Will who took care of the droids with a force push. Will looked and saw the heavily pregnant woman.

"Lyra?" Will asked and she nodded. "I'm Padawan Will Vizsla of the Jedi order. I met your husband and he told me to come find you."

"Is he all right?" Lyra asked as Will helped her walk.

"He's fine. He's helping the other prisoners. Our ships have already destroyed the Separatist fleet and backup is on its way." Will assured her.

"Thank you. We've prayed for this…ugh…" Lyra clutched her stomach and almost fell to her knees in pain if Will wasn't there to support her. "ARGH!"

"Lyra, are you ok?" He asked.

"No, the baby's coming!" She told him.

"Oh boy."

"The medical lab is that way!" She pointed down the hall but then let out another scream of pain and clutched her stomach. Will picked her up and rushed to the med bay while contacting for backup.

LAAT gunships soon arrived in the city with more clones and supplies. Kota's men had secured the docks and opened up part of the dome to let them in. The clones helped secure the area and the destroyed droids while relief supplies were quickly distributed to the civilians. All in all, the people were happy the droids were gone. Master Kenobi disembarked his ship and saw Master Kota leading Marshal Phara over to one of the ships for transport back to Coruscant. Omega team and the Rathtar squad arrived with the scientists and engineers from Zerpen labs so Obi-wan went to talk to them.

"Fives, I assume everything is in order?"

"Yes, General. All the scientists and engineers are secure as well as their research. And any clankers have been taken care of." Fives replied as BD-8 scurried down his shoulder and up Obi-wan's. "We also had some help from the little guy."

"Excellent, any idea on what the Separatists were working on?" Obi-wan questioned.

"According to the scientists, the Separatists were focused on their energy research but weren't making much progress. Their lead research, Galen Erso was locked away and refused to help but didn't have much of a choice. They captured his wife. Last I heard, that's where the Commander was headed." Fives explained.

"And where is my Padawan?" Obi-wan asked as he pressed his communicator. "Padawan, come in?"

_"__Master Kenobi. Glad you made it safe to the ground. Love to chat but I'm a little busy right now." _

"Busy with what?" Obi-wan questioned.

_"__Believe it or not, having a baby."_ Will replied only drawing confused looks from Obi-wan, BD-8 and the clones.

"Did he just say having a baby?" Echo asked.

Will was in the med bay of the palace with Lyra who was currently in labor. The medical droids were doing their job to make sure everything went smooth. Lyra's screams could be heard from outside as she clenched onto Will's hand. "Where—where is my husband?"

"He's on his way. Gruppe said he's racing over as fast as he can." Will assured her as Lyra clenched his hand very tight that he began to groan in pain. "I hope he gets here soon."

"Lyra!" they heard as Galen rushed in. "I'm here."

"Galen!" Lyra breathed out a sigh of relief before another scream of pain as Galen was by his wife's side.

"I'll let you two have some time together." Will managed to ease his hands out of Lyra's grip and stepped outside into the hall. He shook his hand and clenched it a few times to get the feeling back into his fingers. "Geez, that hurt."

He heard the pitter patter of little feet and soon enough BD-8 came down the hall and climbed up his shoulder, giving a happy beep. "Glad to see you too, buddy. You did good today."

BD-8 happy beeped and pat him on the shoulder as Obi-wan, Fives, Hevy, and Echo arrived. "Padawan, glad to see you're alive although you'll find me surprised to find out you're having a baby." Obi-wan joked.

"Well, it's not my child. Lyra is the wife of Galen Erso, Zerpen's chief engineer. She was being held prisoner here to force him into working for the Separatists. I went to make sure she was ok and when I did, she went into labor. Galen is with her now." Will explained. "How did you guys work out today?"

"Fine, commander. Had a little hiccup at the entrance but the little guy was there to back us up." Fives told him as BD-8 gave a small wave. "All the scientists and engineers are fine."

"And how did things go in space?" Will wondered.

"Rather well. We managed to catch the Separatists by surprise before they had the chance to fully mobilize their star fighters. The battle didn't last that long." Obi-wan explained.

"Hopefully all our future battles turn out as easy as today. And with the lab secured, we don't have to worry about the Separatists using their lab for weapons." Will said. "This is a good day. So, what's now?"

"I've informed the council and the Republic of our victory. They're sending additional ships to protect the system along with supplies and aid for the people here. Those that wish to leave are being taken aboard our ships. Master Kota is speaking with the Chieftain with efforts to help keep the city and its population safe. Well done today, Padawan." Obi-wan told him. He was very impressed with his work today.

"Everything I did today I owe to your training. Thank you, Master." Will bowed his head when they heard a baby crying. "Looks like our victory is marked by celebration."

Will walked into the room to see Lyra and Galen tending to and gushing over their newborn baby. Guess today really was a good day. Galen saw Will walk in and walked over to shake his hand. "Thank you, Master Jedi. Because of you, Vallt is free and I was able to see the birth of my child."

"There's no thanks necessary, Galen. I was just doing my job. It's what Jedi do." Will replied as he looked at the newborn baby. "Still, I'm glad things went well today. Hopefully it means things will continue to do so. What will you do now?"

"For now, I wish to spend as much time with Jyn as possible. Afterward…I'll do whatever I can to help the Republic and the Jedi in their fight against the Separatists. Thank you again, Padawan Vizsla." Galen told him.

"Well, I hope our paths cross again, Galen Erso. But in the meantime, I believe Jyn deserves your attention." Will said as he stepped out. Galen walked over to his wife and the two relaxed in this tender time together. For a moment, the galaxy wasn't at war and hope still lingered for a better tomorrow.

**End of Chapter 3**

**I hoped you guys like Chapter 3. We got a little more action and plot development with the story. I still hope everyone is staying safe in spite of everything and know that my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who is suffering. Hope this provides a little distraction and happiness to some people. Stay safe and stay hopeful. **

**This chapter's shown Rathtar squad working together and soon more members will show up, hopefully soon. Will's getting some more experience on missions and in fighting Sith warriors like Ventress which will come in handy in the future. Not to mention, he found his mother's ship and now it's a lean, mean, fighting machine which will be a big help in the future. Hope everyone likes the little Easter egg for Rogue One in this chapter. I looked up Galen Erso and found his backstory on the Star Wars Wiki which provided a cool mission. **

**Next chapter, The Republic refocuses its war efforts from fighting the Separatists world for world to taking out capturing their leaders. Their first and hopeful target is Count Dooku. That leads them to a confrontation with a Pirate who will be both a thorn in their side and an unlikely ally. After that, crash landing on a peaceful world leads to honoring the most critical aspect of the Jedi code. Until next time. **

**Will Vizsla, Son of Pio Vizsla, nephew of Pre Vizsla and Mandalorian by birth. Padawan Jedi. **

· **Birthdate: 38BBY**-Age 16

· **Padawan Apprentice to Obi-wan Kenobi, Former Padawan of Ur-Sema Du, Son of Pio Vizsla. Nephew of Pre Vizsla. **

· **Appearance:** Dylan O'Brien from Maze Runner: The Death Cure. With Padawan braid.

o **Clothing:**

§ Dark blue Padawan robes and combat boots. Combat belt with Cyan Blue lightsaber.

§ Ancestral Mandalorian Beskar armored combat gloves and forearm guards with weapons. Necklace with symbol of Clan Vizsla.

§ A black shirt, black jacket and blue pants **(Casual/Undercover)**

· **Personality:** Kind, caring, quick-witted and smart. Able to adapt to situations very easily. Prone to quips to distract or enrage his enemies. Can be a bit of a smartass yet humble and works well with others. Extremely proficient in tinkering and building with electronics. Excellent pilot and mechanic. Knowledge in warfare and weapons from extensive self-tutelage at the Jedi Temple and Mandalorian training by Pio Vizsla. When triggered, can be aggressive and unhinged to a point.

· **Skills and Powers**

o **Force Powers:**

§ Force speed, Force sight, Force empathy, Force Jump, Force Stasis, Force Pull/Push, Force Throw, Force Barrier, Force Repulse, Force Precognition, Animal Bond, Mind Trick, Levitation, Lightsaber throw.

o **Combat Skills**:

§ Specialized in Form 2 Makashi-Lightsaber-to-Lightsaber combat, Form 3 Soresu-Blaster counter/Defense, Form four Ataru-combines speed, strength, agility, powers, and the force for to aid in movement and combat.

§ Adept at hand-to-hand combat.

§ Mandalorian gauntlets with repulsor, grappling line, wrist rockets, flamethrower, laser splicer, retractable wrist/forearm blades, shield projector, and built-in communicator and holovid.

· BD-8 companion droid

· Rathtar Squad: Echo _(Tech_), Hevy _(Heavy Weapons),_ Fives _(Second in command), _

· The Tempest: A Black and Orange Corellian XS stock light freighter armed with 2 dorsal and 2 port laser batteries with torpedo launchers and modified ion launchers. Built with 2 powerful sub-light engines, heavy armored plating, and a modified/powerful hyperdrive system, making it powerful yet agile and extremely fast. Equipped with a modified stealth system that can bypass almost any scanner.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any above-mentioned properties, all rights belong to their owners. **


End file.
